Daddy
by Smitty91
Summary: A letter opens up old wounds for Dale, who flees to LA to, hopefully, escape his past, but he quickly learns that escaping one's past is harder than he thought. Rated T for subject matter.
1. Chapter 1

Daddy

Chapter 1

" _I have many things I would like to say to you,_

 _but I will not do it with pen and paper. Rather,_

 _I hope to see you soon so we can speak face to face."_

 _(3 John 13-14)_

" _There is no fear in love because love casts out fear."_

 _(1 John 4:18)_

It was a bright, sunny day in New York City. Located in a tree in Central Park was the Rescue Rangers Headquarters.

Gadget Hackwrench stepped out onto the front porch and observed the setting. The morning dew still clung to the leaves. The blond-haired mouse was still in her pajamas. She picked up the wad of mail that rested at her feet and entered the house once again. The aroma of cheese met her nostrils as she entered the house. Monty was cooking again.

"What cha got there, Gadget, love?" Monty asked.

"Just the mail," Gadget replied as she looked through the envelopes. One envelope caught her attention. This one had Dale's name on it.

She looked over at the red-nosed chipmunk, who, like the others, was still in his pajamas. He was wrapped up in Foxglove's wings. His lover, the pink bat, smiled at him. Her baby blue eyes seemed to sparkle as the sunlight hit them.

Setting aside the rest of the mail, she approached Dale with his envelope in her hands. "Oh, Dale," she said softly. She held up the envelope. "You've got mail."

"From who?" Dale inquired.

Gadget looked at the return address. "Someone named Jeremy Oakmont."

"Gimme that," Dale snapped. He snatched the envelope from her so fast that she barely had time to blink.

Everyone–including Zipper–watched Dale as he ripped open the envelope and unfolded the piece of paper that he took out. As he read the letter, he turned a ghostly white and his body began to shake uncontrollably. He shook so badly he could barely hold onto the letter.

He suddenly leaped from the table and ran to the bathroom. Once he'd closed and locked the bathroom door, he threw open the toilet seat and began throwing up.

Outside, the others tried to overhear what was going on.

Gadget gently knocked on the bathroom door. "Dale, are you okay?" In response, she heard Dale retching.

Dale took several deep breathsto calm himself. He felt hot, as if someone had turned up the thermostat full blast. He stood up and looked at himself in the mirror. He didn't look well. He didn't even feel well. He felt nauseous.

He gripped the side of the sink, his claws scraping against the metal, scratching it. He took several more deep breaths to calm himself down. Unfortunately, the hot air only made him feel hotter.

Outside, everyone watched as the door knob turned. They heard the toilet flush, then saw Dale exit the bathroom.

"Dale, are you all right?" Chip asked.

"Perfect, never been better," Dale replied as he walked past the group. He entered the kitchen and tore up the letter from his father and threw the ripped up pieces in the trash.

"Are you hungry?" Monty asked. "You sure look like you could use something to eat."

Dale shook his head. "No, thanks, Monty," he stated. "I'm not hungry. I've suddenly lost my appetite." He walked out of the house.

The five friends stared at each other in bewilderment.

Later, Dale looked at Chip to make sure that he was asleep. Once he was sure that Chip was asleep, he pulled his suitcase out from underneath Chip's bed. He'd packed his things earlier that day.

It was only ten o' clock at night. By now everyone was asleep. Well, everyone except Gadget and Dale himself. As he passed Gadget's room, he could see light emitting from the crack of her door, telling him that she was still up, probably working on a new invention. He knew that she'd go to bed early in the morning and sleep throughout most of the day. He'd figured this out when he'd pulled one of his all-nighters.

Realizing that he'd have to sneak out to avoid disrupting Gadget, he quietly–or at least as quietly as possible–crept over to the front door.

The night air was cool. The leaves rustled as a light breeze blew. The breeze seemed to relax the fear-stricken chipmunk.

To Dale's right was the Ranger Wing, positioned in front of the runway. He shook his head. Based on where he was going, he realized he'd never get to his destination using the Ranger Wing.

He had some friends in LA who, as one of them put it, were "major rock stars." They were an extremely popular pop group. There were three of them, as opposed to the original four or five members of a pop group.

"Now the only question is how to get there," Dale pondered. He couldn't fly there. Ever since 9/11, security at airports had become air-tight, and using a hangglider was out of the question. Therefore, a train would be the best means of travel. Wit this thought in mind, he began heading towards the train station.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

" _Trouble and anguish have taken their toll on me."_

 _(Psalm 119:143)_

It took Dale over four hours to get to L.A. As he rode in one of the empty cars, words flashed through his mind.

Loser.

Idiot.

Dummy.

Retard.

Faggot.

Sissy.

These were all the words that his father had called him.

It was impossible for him to sleep peacefully. His constant memories of his father kept him awake.

His stomach growled. He was surprised that he was hungry at all. Ever since he'd received the letter from his fahter, he hadn't been hungry at all. He'd taken some medicine to help him cope with his upset stomach, which was continuously coming back throughout the day.

He went back to sleep shortly afterward, but was jerked back to consciousness when the train came to a screeching halt. Once he was wide awake, he grabbed his suitcase and headed out to the corridor.

Hearing frantic knocking, Dave Seville got out of bed and put on his robe. He walked down the hall and stopped at one particular room. Alvin, Simon, and Theodore were sleeping soundly in their beds. After making sure that they were all right, he headed downstairs to the front door.

He unlocked the door and looked outside. Seeing no one there, he shook his head. _Damn kids,_ he thought. He started to close the door when a voice stopped him.

"Dave, down here!"

Dave looked down to see Dale standing in front of him on the welcome mat. The chipmunk was shaking and, if Dave's eyes weren't deceiving him, crying. Dave couldn't believe that Dale, a Rescue Ranger, was crying.

"May I come in, please?" Dale asked.

Dave nodded and stepped to the side to let the chipmunk in. Once he was inside, Dave shut the door and led him to the living room. He looked over at the clock. It was nearly four o' clock in the morning. No doubt the chipmunk was tired.

Dave made a pallet on the couch for Dale, who thanked the man. He watched Dave head up the stairs, then turned on his side to go to sleep.

As Dave passed the boys' bedroom, he realized he had two hours left before he had to get them up for school.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

" _Do not have any sexual relations with you rmother or father."_

 _(Leviticus 18:7)_

"Come on, Dale," Jeremy said. "Time to go to bed."

Dale followed his father to his bedroom. As they entered the bedroom, Jeremy shut the door, then gently pushed Dale down on the bed until the chipmunk was lying on his back. Jeremy then took off Dale's shirt, then took off his own shirt so that they were both naked.

Jeremy lied down on top of Dale. "Now, Dale, what I'm about to do to you is perfectly normal," he stated. "It plays a big role in becoming a man. Be a good boy and don't make any noise."

Dale was flipped onto his belly. He felt something hard and erect press against his rump. The object pressing against his butt was driven in and out of his anus, going faster and deepening as time went on. He had to do something–anything–to get his dad to stop.

Jeremy put a paw over Dale's mouth. Dale chomped down on Jerem'y finger.

Dale was rolled over onto his back once again. His father slapped him.

"What did I tell you, boy?" Jeremy snapped. "Stupid retarded idiot can't follow directions!"

Dale began kicking and punching his father.

Dave entered the living room carrying a lunch tray. He saw Dale kicking and clawing at the air. He set the tray on the table and shook Dale, jerking him out of his sleep.

"It's okay," Dave reassured Dale. "It's just me. The boogeyman's gone now. He went out that way." He pointed to the area behind him. "I, uh, I thought you might be hungry."

"How long have I been asleep?" Dale inquired as he rubbed his eyes.

"You've been asleep for the past nine hours," Dave informed the chipmunk. "It's one p.m."

Dale took a peanut from its container and ate it.

"Would you mind explaining to me why you're here?" Dave asked.

"My dad's wanting to come visit me," Dale declared. "That's why I ran away."

"I still don't understand. Did your father . . . did he ever beat you?"

"That and so much more. He used to beat me if I did something wrong or if I did something he didn't like."

Dave couldn't believe what he was hearing. True, his relationship with Alvin wasn't perfect, but he could never bring himself to severely punish Alvin.

"I called Chip to let him know where you are," Dave told Dale. "He and the others are on their way."

"Great," Dale mumbled. He ate another peanut.

Dave left Dale to eat in peace.


	4. Chapter 4

Chpater 4

" _How I wish to be a dove, so I could fly away and be at peace."_

 _(Psalm 65:4)_

At three o' clock, Alvin, Simon, Theodore, and the Rescue Rangers arrived at the Seville home. The eight friends, including Dave, walked in the living room.

 _Good timing,_ Dale thought. He shut off the TV and sat up.

"Dale, what are you doing here?" Chip asked. He held out his paw. "Come on, buddy. Let's go home."

Dale shook his head. "I can't go home, not if he's there," he remarked.

Chip blinked. "Dale, what are you talking about?"

Dale sighed. "Never mind."

Chip grabbed Dale by his shirt and began dragging him across the floor. Dale grabbed onto the leg of the couch, causing his shirt to stretch. As Chip gave a forceful tug, Dale's shirt ripped, revealing Dale's scarred and bruised back.

Dale spun around, trying to hide his back, but it was too late. The damage had already been done. He looked from one shocked face to the other.

Gadget was the first to speak. "Dale, who did that to you?"

Dale didn't reply.

"Dale, who did that to you?" Gadget repeated.

"His father," Dave answered.

Dale glared at Dave.

Chip sighed and turned to his teammates. "What do you think, guys?" he asked. "Should we stay here?"

"Well, if it's in Dale's best interest, then, yes, we should," Foxglove suggested.

"All those in favor, please raise your hand," Chip ordered.

Everyone in the room raised their hand in the air.

"Then, it's settled," Chip exclaimed. "For Dale's own personal safety, we'll stay here."

Dale blinked. "You guys are serious?" he asked.

"Of course," Theodore replied. "We consider you and the other Rescue Rangers family."

"We're not going to let your dad touch you," Simon agreed.

"And if he does," Alvin butted in, "we'll call the cops."

Though he was thrilled that his friends were helping him, Dale wished that he could fly away. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't go anywhere, no matter how badly he wanted to escape.

For the next few days, Dale didn't have much of an appetite. To soothe his upset stomach, he either drank Sprite or ate peanut butter.

Chip explained to Dale that they'd gotten to LA by flying the Ranger Wing. The gang figured out where he was through common sense. Dale had a very strong relationship with Alvin.

Dale seemed calm only when he was around Foxglove. The others thought it was good that he spent time with his fiance. They felt it helped Dale clear his mind and helped him cope with the nearing danger of meeting his father.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

" _Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger."_

 _(Ephesians 6:4)_

To be extremely honest, Dale wasn't looking forward to meeting his father. Nonetheless, he put aside his feelings and flew to the airport. Gadget and Foxglove accompanied him for emotional support (and to keep Dale from beating the snot out of his father).

Jeremy entered the lobby shortly after the three arrived.

"Wow, Dale, you haven't changed a bit," Jeremy greeted. "You still look like crap."

Dale disregarded his father's rude comment and introduced him to Gadget and Foxglove.

"How did a loser like you end up with a wife, much less a girlfriend?" Jeremy asked Dale.

"Come on, let's get home," Gadget suggested.

Thirty minutes later, Dale and the others arrived at the Seville home. As they entered the house, Chip met them at the front door.

"You must be Jeremy," Chip said. He extended a paw. "I'm Chip Maplewood."

Jeremy examined Chp up and down and smiled. He cheerfully shook Chip's paw. "Dale, why can't you be more like this guy?" he asked. "He's a lot like your brother, Craig. Now there was a son. Not like you, Dale, you sissy-fied faggot. Why don't you just kill yourself, make us all happy?"

Chip looked past Jeremy to see that Dale was on the verge of tears, though Chip couldn't blame him if he started crying.

Everyone else couldn't believe what they were hearing. No wonder Dale had been afraid to meet his father again.

Dale was used to this kind of lecture. Because of his father, he'd made several suicide attempts, but had had each one of them foiled. In his mind, if he committed suicide, he'd finally be at peace.

What he couldn't understand was why his father only harassed him and not Craig. He guessed that it was because Craig was his father's favorite.

"Come on, let's get you settled," Dave said to Jeremy. He led Jeremy upstairs.

Everyone turned to Dale, who stood shaking and trying to hold back tears. Before anyone could say or do anything, the chipmunk ran outside and onto the porch.

Alvin, Simon, and Theodore went upstairs to work on their homework while the others stayed downstairs.

Chip sighed. "Well, now we know why Dale didn't want to meet his father," he stated.

"I can't say I blame him," Gadget added. "We'd better give him some space. He'd probably like that."

"I agree," Foxglove declared.

Four of them went their separate ways. Only Chip stayed where he was.

As he stood there, staring at the front door, Chip recalled all the years he'd tormented Dale with name-calling and hitting him on the head. Occasionally Dale himself would hit Chip on the head.

"I'm sorry, Dale," Chip said. "So sorry." However, he knew he'd have to say it to Dale's face sooner or later.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

" _A little sleephelps the body heal."_

 _(Proverbs 6:10)_

" _Tonight you will not be able to sleep."_

 _(Proverbs 6:4)_

" _Whenever you sit to eat a meal, consider what is_

 _in front of you and kill yourself if you're a gluttonous person."_

 _(Proverbs 23:1-2)_

Not to anyone's surprise, Dale wasn't hungry around suppertime, so he didn't join the family for dinner. Instead he watched television in the living room.

"Dale is such a loser," Jeremy said. "Craig was walking at nine months old. It took Dale nearly a year and a half before he started walking. Stupid retard couldn't do anything right. Jeremy would always have to help him, even with the simplest of chores, like washing dishes."

Dale kept his attention on the television, trying to hold back tears. His lips quivered and his chest felt tight while a lump in his throat bobbed back and forth, from his mouth to his throat. He had to be tough. After all, he was a Rescue Ranger, and Rescue Rangers didn't cry. He was a man. Men didn't cry. Only babies cried. No matter how great the pain or hurt, he had to fight the urge to cry.

Everyone went to bed at ten o'c lock. Dale, on the other hand, couldn't sleep at all. By eleven o' clock, he was starving. Having soaked his pillow in tears, he got up and wandered to the kitchen.

For dinner, the family had had chili, one of the chipmunk's favorite dishes. He hoped that Dave had made it spicy, which was the way he liked it. He managed to pour himself a bowl of chili and heat it up in the microwave, despite that the house was dark.

As he was eating his meal, along with a can of soda, he heard footsteps descending the stairs. The figure stopped at the doorway to the kitchen. Though it was dark, Dale could make out the figure.

"How are you doing, Dale?" Chip asked.

"So far, so good," Dale replied.

"Well, you're doing better than I am," Chip remarked. "I'm about ready to strangle your father."

Dale laughed. "Be my guest." In his mind, he remembered something his fahter had said before dinner: "Dale should've been drowned at birth. I don't know why his mother didn't abort him. God only knows why she let him live." He felt his heart plummet to his stomach.

"Turn on the light and you can see better," a voice spoke up.

The kitchen light was turned on to reveal Gadget and the other Rescue Rangers standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

Gadget folded her arms. "How dare you, Dale?" she asked.

"Fine," Dale declared. He ate another spoonful of chili.

"You know, we're all really worried about you," Gadget remarked. "We all think that being around your father is having a negative influence on you. We all feel that it'd be best if you and your father worked things out."

Dale laughed again. "That's never going to happen," he told them.

"Dale, are you sure you're okay?" Gadget asked.

"Stop worrying about me, I'm fine," Dale grumbled.

"Well, okay," Gadget said. She led the other four upstairs.

"Try to get some sleep, Dale," Chip advised.

Dale nodded and watched Chip ascend the stairs with his teammates.

After finishing off his chili, Dal had a Twinkie for dessert and finished off his soda. He crushed the can, his fingers tore through the metal, cutting them. He licked up the blood. He smiled. "Not bad," he told himself. He finally understood why vampires craved blood.

His smile broadened. Foxglove absolutely hated vampires, which was why Dale never mentioned the term around her. He'd tried reading _Dracula_ to her once only to have her go into a fit. It took him over an hour to calm her down.

Tomorrow was Sunday. Dale decided that he would go to church with Theodore, just to get away from his father. With that thought in mind, he headed back to the living room, where he would have another restless night.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

" _You have heard that it has been said,_

 _'You should love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'_

 _But I tell you, love your enemies, bless them who curse you._

 _Do good to them who hate you, and pray for them who use_

 _you for their own personal gain and for them who persecute you."_

 _(Matthew 5:43-44)_

" _If you forgive those who offend you, so your Father will also_

 _forgive your offenses. However, if you don't forgive those_

 _who offend you, then your Father won't forgive your offenses."_

 _(Matthew 6:14-15)_

" _Then Jesus said, 'Great is your faith.'"_

 _(Matthew 15:28)_

" _Lord, teach us to number our days,_

 _so we can apply our hearts to wisdom."_

 _(Psalm 90:12)_

" _Your Word, O Lord, is lamp to my feet_

 _and a light to my path."_

 _(Psalm 119:108)_

" _If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat._

 _And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink."_

 _(Romans 12:20)_

Dale woke up early the next morning. He took a shower, which put him in a better mood. He went downstairs to the kitchen, where Theodore was eating breakfast. "Good, you haven't left yet," he said to Theodore.

Theodore looked up from his cereal bowl and smiled at Dale. "What do you mean?" he inquired.

"I'm going with you to church today," Dale explained.

"Will this be your first time going?" Theodore asked.

Dale nodded. "I'm just going so I can get out of the house and get away from my father," he declared.

"Well, even though you're just going to get away from your father, I really hope you get something out of this experience," Theodore commented.  
"I do, too, to be honest," Dale confessed. He poured himself a glass of orange juice and joined Theodore at the kitchen table.

The others got up shortly afterward. Alvin went in the living room to watch cartoons. Simon went in the basement to work on one of his science experiments. Chip went to one of the empty bedrooms to read one of his detective novels in peace. Gadget accompanied Simon to the basement. Foxglove went in the kitchen to spend time with Dale. Dave began cooking breakfast. Only Jeremy, Monterey Jack, and Zipper were still asleep.

Foxglove cuddled with Dale as he drank his orange juice. She nuzzled her nose against his cheek. She giggled. He liked it when she giggled. Her giggle was seductive, almost as if she was weaving a spell over him, causing him to fall in love with her.

Eleanor came over to the Seville home. "Theodore, are you ready to go?" she asked.

Theodore nodded. "Come on, Dale," he said.

Dale followed Theodore and Eleanor to Miss Miller's car, which was parked outside the house. They got in.

"So nice you could join us for church, Dale," Miss Miller said on the drive to the church.

Brittany turned in her seat to look at Dale. "Dale, are you–" she began.

"I swear to God, if one more person asks me if I'm all right, I'm going to put a bullet through my head," Dale cried.

Brittany glared at him. "That not even funny, Dale," she growled. "Don't even joke about that. Do you understand me? I never want to hear something like that come out of your mouth ever again. Got it?"

"Fine," Dale replied. He looked out the window.

The group arrived at Upper Room Harvest Church a few minutes later. They enetered the church.

Theodore walked up to a tanned man with black hair and a black mustache. He had brown eyes. His hair was turning gray, though it wasn't from age, since the man appeared to be only in his late forties. Theodore addressed him as Pastor Mike Smith and introduced him to Dale.

"Welcome, Dale," Mike said. "We're glad you're here."

"Glad to be here," Dale replied. He followed Theodore and the others over to an empty pew.

After several songs, Mike began the sermon. The sermon was about forgiveness and loving one's enemies. While Dale found the sermon intriguing, he also found it somewhat confusing.

"I just don't see how someone can just forgive and forget," Dale said on the drive home. "See, I couldn't do that with my father."

"I guess you wouldn't be able to, not after all he's put you through," Jeanette stated.

Dale glared at Theodore. "What have you been telling them?" he barked.

"Nothing," Theodore replied.

"What have you been telling them, Theodore/" Dale repeated, louder this time.

"Dale, he hasn't told us anything," Eleanor said. "All he said was that he wanted us to pray for you because you were having a hard time coping with meeting your father."

"Dale, I'm not trying to be a smart-aleck here, but if you had Jesus in your life, you could probably get through this a lot better," Theodore declared.

Dale had to admit that Theodore was right. After he'd gotten emancipated from his father at the age of fifteen, he'd turned to alcohol and drugs to help him cope with his abusive father. However, this made things worse. In desperate need of money, he'd started selling drugs, which landed him in jail for a couple of months. He now realized that he needed Christ more than anything.

"I'm doing fine on my own, thanks," Dale snapped at Theodore.

Theodore shrugged. "Fine, do whatever you want," he suggested.

Ms. Miller swerved the car to the right, sending the four passengers in the back sliding to the left.

Theodore and Dale entered the Seville home a few minutes later.

"So, how did it go?" Gadget asked Dale.

"It went well," Dale stated. "I really enjoyed myself." He started upstairs when someone wrapped their arm around his throat, choking him.

"Hey, sweetheart," Jeremy whispered in Dale's ear. He ran his paw down the chipmunk's striped back. "You got a cute butt, baby." He gently squeezed Dale's rump. "You wanna do it? You're such a pretty girl." He kissed Dale's cheek, then slithered his tongue into Dale's ear.

"Jeremy," Chip yelled.

Jeremy released Dale. Dale let ot a fearful high-pitched shriek and ran over to Dave.

"Oh, come on, now, I was just playing," Jeremy said. "I wouldn't hurt a hair on his pretty little head." To Dale he added, "Grow some balls, you sissy. You're not like your brother. He was brave and . . ." He stopped and pointed to the floor and laughed. "Well, look at that," he cried. "The little sissy wet himself." He pointed to a puddle of urine that covered Dale's feet and the floor.

"Dale, this is it," Theodore said. 'Tell your father you love him. Just say to him what you say to Foxglove every morning."

Dale took a breath. "Okay, here it goes," he stated. "Dad . . ., I hate you."

Jeremy sighed. "I never thought I'd see the day when my own boy would stop loving me," he said sadly. "Well, it's about time," he added happily. "Love's for sissies!"

"Jeremy, pack your things, 'cause you're out of here," Dave ordered.

Jeremy left the house minutes later.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

" _I have covered my deathbed with tapestry."_

 _(Proverbs 20:16)_

Dale's appetite resurfaced shortly after Jeremy left. Sadly, though, their dinner was interrupted when the Rescue Rangers were called to identify a body. Dale was uneasy about going, but the others encouraged him to go, thinking that a good mystery would get his mind off his father.

Minutes later, the Ranger Wing landed in Denver Park. Foxglove landed beside the plane as the other five climbed out. Together, they walked over to a chinchilla that was standing in front of a blue sheet that was covering a body.

"What's the story?" Chip asked.

"We've found a body, but no one can identify it," the chinchilla declared. "We were hoping one of you could help us."

"Who are you?" Gadget asked.

"My apologies," the chinchilla said. "I'm Tony, one of the members of the Rescue Aid Society. I'm new."

"So, who's it going to be?" Chip asked.

"Why not you, Dale?" Foxglove suggested. "You could use a confidence boost."

Dale sighed. "All right," he agreed. He stooped down and lifted the sheet to reveal the body.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

" _Do not kill."_

 _(Exodus 20:13)_

" _Do not falsely accuse your neighbor."_

 _(Exodus 20:16)_

"Good Lord," Dale cried. His eyes met Jeremy's.

Jeremy's body looked terrible. Blood covered his clothes; his leg was twisted at an acute angle; his fur was ruffled; his eyes were wide and his mouth was ajar; bone broke through the skin on one of his arms; his neck was broken; and blood poured from his eyes and mouth.

Dale ran over to a nearby tree and began throwing up.

"Who is this?" Tony asked.

"That's Jeremy Oakmont, Dale's father," Chip explained.

"Hmm, interesting," Tony mused. "Tell me, did Dale have a good relationship with his father?"

"Absolutely not," Gadget replied. "In fact, Dale said he wished his father was dead."

"So, it's possible that Dale did this?" Tony proposed.

"No, he couldn't have done this," Gadget declared. "He was with us all day."

"Nevertheless, Dale is counted as a suspect and must be brought in for questioning," Tony said. He started to approach Dale with a pair of handcuffs. Zipper flew over and bit Tony's wrist. Tony swatted at the fly, but missed. He turned back to Dale. "Dale Oakmont, you're under arrest, son, for the murder of Jeremy Oakmont," he said as he handcuffed the chipmunk. He led Dale over to a police car.

Dale turned to his friends. "Help me, please," he begged. "Do something–anyhing!"

"Sorry, lad, but there's nothing we can do," Monty said.

"This is out of our hands, Dale," Gadget added.

Dale was placed in the backseat. He looked out the window at his betrayers as the police car sped away.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

" _Do not make any cuts in your flesh."_

 _(Leviticus 19:18)_

Dale ewas takne to jail. After being suspected of killing his father, he was called to the interrogation room shortly after arriving at jail.

"Hello, Dale," a squirrel said. He sat across from Dale. "I'm Detective Gerald Costar. I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"Look, it's been a rough night," Dale stated. "I just want to get out of here and go home."

"You're not going anywhere until we get this case settled," the squirrel snapped hatefully.

Dale spent over an hour being interviewed by Gerald. Once the interview was over, Dale was allowed to return to his cell.

Theodore visited Dale a few weeks later. Dale sat up and allowed Theodore to sit down beside him.

"Ho w are you?" Theodore asked.

"I'm doing good," Dale answered.

"I brought you something." He opened his backpack and pulled out a Bible, which he handed to Dale.

"Theodore, I told you–" Dale began.

"Just give it a chance," Theodore encouraged.

Dale sighed. "Fine," he agreed.

"Alvin and I have this bet going on," Theodore went on. "I bet him that I could write songs just as good as him, maybe even better. I have until the talent show to get ready. The loser has to give the winner fifty dollars."

"Great."

"You're not mad at Chip and the others, are you? Dale, there was nothing they could've done to help."

"Yeah, I guess."

"I've got to go. I'll see you later." He got up and walked out of the cell.

Dale picked up the Bible and thumbed through it. He wondered if Alvin and Simon were Christians. It didn't seem likely. He highly doubted they were.

Simon was an atheist. He didn't even consider the possibility that there was a God. Theodore had tried converting him on several occasions, but he eventually gave up.

Alvin was different. He believed in the possibility that there was a God. He was an agnostic type of person, even though he wouldn't admit it to neither Simon or Theodore.

Seeing as he had no other choice, Dale began reading the Bible, though he wasn't sure where to begin. As with most books, he started at the beginning, the Book of Genesis.

It didn't take Dale long to get confused. _Wait a minute,_ he thought. _Where are the dinosaurs and wooly mammoths?_ During school, he'd learned about the ice age and the dinosaur age. He'd seen evidence of the ice age on both the Discovery Channel and the History Channel, so he couldn't understand why it wasn't included in the Bible. Unfortunately, he had no way of contacting Theodore to ask him why the ice age wasn't included in the Bible, and he didn't know how long he'd be in jail.

A few days later, Dale was sentenced to be released from jail. As he followed a police officer down the hall towards the main entrance where he would be picked up, he stopped to watch the news.

"Regarding the death of Jeremy Oakmont," an anchorwoman spoke, "the real killer has been identified as Bryan Priddy . .."

"Move it, boy," the officer barked.

Dale followed the officer to the main office, where Chip and the other Rescue Rangers were waiting for him.

"Ready to go home?" Chip asked.

"Like you have to ask," Dale said.

"Mr. Oakmont, please sign out," another officer ordered.

Dale signed his name on the sign out sheet and put the time, then followed Chip and the others outside to the Ranger Wing.

"No hard feelings, right, Dale?" Chip asked.

Dale shook his head. "No," he replied.

They flew to the Seville home.

Dale entered Alvin, Simon, and Theodore's room. "Alvin, Simon, get out," he commanded.

"Can't you see we're busy?" Simon asked. He turned back to his homework.

Dale picked up the stereo and hurtled it across the room. It crashed against the wall, creating a thunderous boom and waking Theodore.

"I'm not going to say it again," Dale growled.

Alvin and Simon grabbed their things and left the room, closing the door behind them.

Dale sat down in front of Theodore. "I want to show you something," he said. He pulled up the sleeves of his long-sleeve shirt that was underneath his Hawaiian t-shirt, revealing his scarred wrists and arms.

Theodore gaped at the dozens and dozens of scars that lined Dale's arms. "Oh, my God," he moaned. "How long have you been doing this to yourself?"

"Years," Dale replied. After his father started abusing him, he'd started cutting himself in order to make himself feel better. Cutting himself was the second best choice. Stuffing himself with food was the first best choice.

 _Man, this kid has problems,_ Theodore thought. He was jerked out of his thoughts by Dale's crying.

"I just want the pain to end," Dale said.

Theodore hugged him.

"I hate my life," Dale went on. "I just want to say goodbye. My life stinks. There's no purpose in me living anymore."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

" _For this cause will a man leave his mother and father_

 _and will cing to his wife and they will be one flesh."_

 _(Genesis 2:24)_

To make Dale feel better, Theodore suggested that he and Foxglove go out on a date. The two didn't object and went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant. How Dale was able to pay for it, Foxglove didn't know know. All that mattered to her was that she was enjoying her time with her future husband.

"This is great, isn't it?" Foxglove said to Dale.

Dale nodded and ate a forkful of his chicken casserole. "Anything exciting happen while I was gone?" he asked.

Foxglove shook her head. "No," she answered. "It was actually quite boring without you there?"

He sipped his white wine. "That's what I figured."

"Now that your dad's dead, what do you plan on doing?" she inquired.

"To be honest, I have no clue," he admitted.

"You should write a book about it," she suggested.

"About what?"

"About your relationship with your father."

"Why?"

"Well, I think it'd help youcope with your father's death."

"I'm glad the guy's dead."

"I know. You could try giving your life over to Christ."

"I'll think about writing the book. As for religion, you can forget it, because it doesn't work."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I've talked to people who have tried it, and it doesn't help a thing. Face it. The Bible is nothing but a bunch of bologna. There is no God."

"Do you really believe that, Dale?"

"Yes, I do."

They spent over an hour eating, then headed back to the Seville home. Foxglove accompanied Dale on the couch, where she fell asleep beside him.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

 **A/N: Because you can't use the same characters as somoene else without someone making the false claim that you're the same person who created these characters, let me state right now that the characters of Erik Matthews, Colin Phillips, Nathan Woods, and Tom Landow were borrowed from Smitty91 with his permission. Thank you.**

" _It's okay to be angry, just as long as you don't sin in your anger."_

 _(Ephesians 4:26)_

Dlae woke up early the next morning. It was forty-five minutes past five o' clock. The sky outside was a light blue. The moon and stars still hung in the sky.

Dale poured himself a mug of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table. He still felt tired, but the aroma of coffee woke him up. He took a sip of the pale brown coffee, warming his lips and body. For some reason, he was freezing, even though the thermostat read seventy-five degrees.

Had the group been working on a case, Chip would've been up at this hour, working to solve it. The others thought that his work was going to be the death of him. The chipmunk was a workaholic, whether he wanted to admit it or not. He would work for hours and hours on a case until he finally had it cracked. One would think that after all of that, the chipmunk would've collapsed from exhaustion. Not Chip. It seemed as if he was a huge ball of energy. He never got tired. At times the others had to force him to stopo and relax. Even though it appeared like he also was like a huge ball of energy, even Dale himself got tired and would sleep for hours.

The coffee alerted Dale's senses, making him more aware of his surroundings. It was either that or he'd become used to the lighting in the room. Ordinarily, he wouldn't bother drinking coffee. After all, he was already hyper enough, but sometimes he needed a jolt of sugar to wake him up in the mornings.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up from his coffee mug to see Dave enter the kitchen wearing his robe. His hair hadn't been combed yet. Apparently, he'd just gotten out of bed to get Alvin, Simon, and Theodore up for school. Dave didn't acknowledge Dale. He just poured himself a mug of coffee and walked outside to the front porch.

Dale finished off his coffee and wandered back to the living room, where his lover was still sleeping. He lightly brushed his paw against her cheek, then kissed her. "I love you," he whispered. He grabbed the remote and turned on the television.

Dave entered the house once again and went upstairs to wake up his three sons. Minutes later, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore came downstairs and entered the kitchen to eat breakfast.

Dale mindlessly changed the channels repeatedly. He sighed. It was obvious that he was bored out of his mind.

Dale had a headache throughout the day. He took some medicine to heal it. It subsided for a while, but, just like with his stomachache over a week ago, it came back again.

Dave went to work around noon while the other Rescue Rangers went out to get some fresh air. Only Dale and Foxglove remained at the house. The two settled on the couch and watched television. However, Dale's mind wasn't focused on the show; it ws focused on something else.

Suicidal thoughts had plagued Dale's mind ever since his father had been killed. The funeral was still being planned. Dale, of course, wanted no part in it. He wasn't even planning it.

Dale looked up towards the ceiling. _God, if you're real, kill me now,_ he thought. He wanted to be dead more than anything. Never had he wanted to kill himself more badly than right now. He felt alone, scared, and hopelessly lost. Well, at least he had his friends to help him.

He snorted. What friends? The friends who made him feel worthless, made him feel like everything was his fault? He was an idiot. A klutz. A loser. A retard. A good-for-nothing never-going-to-amount-to-anything moron! Looking back now, he really wished his mother had drowned him at birth. He figured everyone would be happier that way. Even his own father had said: "Why don't you just kill yourself, make us all happy?" For once, he agreed with his father. Everyone would've been a lot better off without him around. All he did was get in the way. He was an embarrassment. He wasn't worthy to be called a Rescue Ranger. He didn't deserve to live, at least in his opinion. In his opinion, if he killed himself, he would finally be at peace. But how would his death affect the others? After all, they were his family. Theodore had said so himself: "We consider you and the other Rescue Rangers family." He couldn't just leave them behind. Of course, when he killed himself, the pain would finally be over. His own words rang in his head: "I just want the pain to end." At least for him the pain would be over, but for his friends the pain of losing one of their own would never end, no matter how badly they wanted it to. Nothing they would do or say would ever make the pain go away. Pain was like a demon. It stuck with a person until they finally took action and stood up to it. Then again, Dale didn't believe in demons.

The other Rescue Rangers came home at around the same time Alvin, Simon, and Theodore got home from school.

"Dale, come 'ere," Alvin said, gesturing the chipmunk over. "I want to talk to you."

Dale obediently left his wife's side and went over to Alvin.

"Listen," Alvin said, "since your dad died, I guess that means you're the jerk of the family, huh?" He laughed. Noticing the scowl on Dale's face, his smile and laughter quickly faded. "It's just a joke, dude."

Dale punched Alvin in the nose, causing blood to pour from his nostrils and down to his mouth. Dale then tackled Alvin to the floor and began attacking the chipmunk's ear. He seized the ear with his teeth and began yanking on it, causing Alvin to cry out in pain.

Chip and the others rushed over to try to pry Dale off Alvin, but the chipmunk wasn't going to let go. He continued to jerk on Alvin's ear, stretching it and causing blood to appear.

"Dale," Gadget cried.

Dale finally straightened up, tearing off a chunk of Alvin's ear. Blood flew from the side of Alvin's face and to the floor. Despite that he was now off Alvin, Dale was still growling and snarling like a rabid dog. He calmed down and began panting heavily, looking from one shocked face to the other. He spit out the piece of ear, once again causing blood to fly through the air. No one dared to approach him, and they had good reason not to.

Monty gently placed a paw on Dale's shoulder. "Come on, Dale," he said. "Let's go out and get some fresh air."

"Get your hand off me," Dale growled.

"Come on, Dale–"

Dale spun around and drove Monty over to the wall. "Hey, I said get off," he yelled. He began to repeatedly punch Monty in the face. Simon and Chip tried to pry Dale off Monty, but Dale elbowed Chip in the nose and kicked Simon in the shin with his heel. Foxglove finally pulled Dale off Monty. Nowadays, it seemed like she was the only one who could console the seemingly demon possessed chipmunk. The expression on his face made him look like he was possessed. It was clear to everyone, even though Dale probably denied it, that Dale was allowing his anger over his father's death to control his mind. Pretty soon, they feared, Dale would lose all self-control and completely "lose it," causing him to go on a violent rampage.

Alvin's shriek of pain brought the group out of their focus on Dale. They all turned to Alvin to see him gripping his bloody ear and kicking and screaming in pain.

"Someone get me a bag of ice," Simon ordered.

While the rest of the gorup tended to Alvin's ear, Gadget motioned for Dale to follow her outside.

Dal shut the front door, then turned to Gadget.

"You know, Dale, when my father died, people kept telling me not to cry," Gadget said. "They kept trying to make me forget." With her voice breaking, she added, "But I didn't want to forget." She wiped some fresh tears from her eyes. Even years after the death of her father, the pain and hurt still lingered in her body. It was still there, still visible.

Dale gripped the fur on his crown and pulled as tears streamed down his face. "What's wrong with me?" he whimpered.

She smiled warmly at him. "Nothing," she told him. "You're angry and you're depressed."

He sighed. "Before my dad died, I wanted him dead. I thought I'd be happy with him finally out of my life, but I'm not. Why is that?"

"Becuase you love him."

He sputtered his lips. "Yeah, I right. I hate the man and that's that." He started to go back in the house, but she stopped him.

"Wait a minute, Dale. You claim that you've tried everything to get over your traumatic childhood."

"That's right."

"Have you tried faith?"

"Oh, Gadget, please, not you too."

"What have you got to lose, Dale?"

"Nothing. I lost everything because of my father."

"Dale, just–"

"No!" He entered the house again.

Simon was able to sew Alvin's ear back on.

As Alvin, Simon, and Theodore walked to school the next day with the Chipettes, Jeanette asked the three boys how Dale was doing.

"Unfortunately, he's not doing any better," Simon declared.

"I keep telling him to get his life right with Christ, but he won't listen to me," Theodore said.

"That's because your religion is a delusion, Theodore," Simon said.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Brittany demanded as she glared at Simon.

"Oh, come on," Alvin spoke up. "You really believed that a man lived in the belly of a whale for three days?"

"If these stories actually happened, then why isn't there any proof?" Simon asked.

"Well, first of all, religion is man-made," Eleanor said. "Christianity is not a religion; it's a lifestyle."

"Okay, let me give you a little pop quiz, Theodore," Simon said. "If the Bible really is God's Holy Word, then why aren't events like the ice age included in it?"

"Because the ice age never took place," Theodore stated.

"Then why have archaeologists found fossils dating back to the first ice age?" Alvin inquired.

"The earth isn't millions of years old," Brittany said. "It's only six thousand-something years old."

"Oh, whatever," Simon cried. "What century is this?"

"The twenty-first century," Jeanetted stated.

"Exactly," Simon went on. 'Now, there are one thousand years in a century, so you all assume that the world is twenty-one thousand years old, which is bologna because after the Big Bang, the earth took millions and millions of years to evolve. After the earth evolved, evolution took place, which is why humans are in the same family as primates, like apes and gorillas. The Big Bang is why we have so many gases."

Theodore rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"You got something to say?" Simon asked him.

"The Bible says that all things were created by God," Theodore said. "In order for something to be created, there has to be a creator. The universe is in such perfect order that you can't deny the fact that God created and since God created it, it is our responsibility to take care of it."

"What about atoms and molecules?" Simon questioned.

"Those were also created by God," Theodore continued. "Like I said before, all things were created by God. When are you going to accept that fact, Simon?"

"When I have some proof," Simon said.

"The proof is all around you, Simon," Jeanette said. "The Bible says that the earth is full of the goodness of God."

"Things like sunsets show us God's glory," Brittany said. 'Storms such as hurricanes show us His great power."

"What about demons?" Simon challenged. "Demon possession doesn't seem to be as common as it used to be."

"Demons come in many forms," Theodore remarked. "Anything that is not of God is a demon, like a mental illness, such as schizophrenia. Like the turmoil Dale's going through right now. That's a demon, and until Dale stands up to it, it's going to continue to manipulate and exploit him."

"Amen," Brittany agreed. "We should really start praying for him more."

"Oh, yeah, a lot of help that's going to do," Alvin mumbled.

"Shut your fat mouth," Brittany growled.

Dale's experience with his father had been what inspired Theodore to start writing songs. He encouraged Dale to write some songs of his own, believing that it would help him immensely.

During the week before the talent show, Theodore shared his song with everyone except Alvin and Dale. Everyone who read it wanted to know what it was about, though all of them suspected that it was about Dale. Unfortunately, Theodore didn't give any details, wanting it to be a surprise, but he reassured them that they'd find out at the talent show.

Theodore had a second line in each verse that he wanted a female to sing. He was having trouble deciding whether Gadget or Brittany should sing it. While both of them sang it wonderfully, he wanted Gadget to sing the part to help her launch her music career. She'd always said she wanted to be a singer, and she definitely had potential. Her only problem was that she had stage fright.

Theodore left early on Friday night with Gadget. They got in Miss Miller's car. The others would meet them there later.

Brittany was still upset with Theodore because hadn't given her the part.

"Let her do it, Theodore," Gadget encouraged. "I mean, if it means that much to her . . . Besides, I wouldn't be able to sing, anyway. I'd be too nervous."

"Fine," Theodore agreed. He pulled out a copy of the lyrics from his backpack and handed it to Brittany. By now she knew all of the words since she'd heard Theodore and Gadget during rehearsal.

They got to the school fifteen minutes before the talent show started. While Ms. Miller, Jeanette, Eleanor, and Gadget took their seats, Theodore and Brittany went back stage, where the other members of the band were waiting.

Nathan was a pale brown bunny with pale beige fur from his chest to his tail. He had dark brown paws, feet, fur on his crown, and ears. The other side of his tail was dark brown. He had blue eyes. He was the drummer.

Tommy was a red fox with pale beige fur from his cheeks to his rump. He had blue eyes. He played the keyboard.

Erik was a corpulent skunk with green eyes. He was the lead guitarist.

Colin was a brown raccoon with white fur from his cheeks to his belly. He had baby blue eyes. He played the bass guitar.

"Is everyone ready?" Theodore asked.

"You bet," Tom said.

"Can everyone remember their parts?" Theodore inquired.

"I think so," Nathan declared.

"I have to talk to you, now," Erik said to Theodore. He grabbed the chipmunk's hand and led him out of earshot of the others.

"What's up?" Theodore asked.

"I can't play," Erik confessed.

"Why not?"

'They're going to laugh at me."

"Now why would they do that?"

"'Cause I'm fat."

"Do you remember what we talked about?"

Erik nodded.

"You're beautiful in God's eyes, Erik. Who cares what everyone else thinks? The only thing that matters is what your Father thinks."

Erik nodded again, then smiled. "You're right," he agreed.

"Come on, let's go," Theodore said. He led the overweight skunk back over to the rest of the group.

Dave and the others arrived at the school five minutes later and took their seats in the auditorium.

The principal, Mr. Talbot, walked onto the stage and spoke into the microphone. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," he said.

Alvin shuddered. "That guy still creeps me out," he muttered.

Simon gently nudged him to get him to be quiet.

"elcome to the Henry F. Moss Middle School talent show," Mr. Talbot went on. "At this time we request that you turn off all pagers and cell phones so as not to disrupt the performers. Thank you. Now please give a warm welcome to Jacob Mullins, who will be doing a series of jokes for us."

"Great," Alvin mumbled.

Theodore's group was the last act.

"And now," Mr. Talbot said, "give a round of applause to our last act of the night. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you the rock band known as Sanctified."

The crowd and applauded and cheered as the curtain rose, revealing Theodore and the other members of the band, including Brittany.

Jeanette was located in the control room, controlling the lights.

Theodore stepped forward and spoke into the microphone. "Before we begin, I'm gonna explain this song 'cause a lot of people want to know what it's talking about," he said. "I wrote this song about my friend Dale Oakmont, who hates his life, because he's been told that he was a loser ever since he was a kid, never gonna amount to anything. Everything that's wrong in his family is his fault, he's told by his father. And he has had a secret life of cutting for years. And he finally decides that he wants to kill himself, not a single reason left to live. He comes to me and he says, 'I just want to say goodbye. My life stinks. No purpose in me living anymore.' And in this song, I get a chance to tell him how special he is, that his life is in fact not a mistake, that he was created for a reason."

Several cheers erupted from the audience as he said this.

"More importantly," Theodore resumed, "I get a chance to tell him that there's a God who loves him no matter what he's ever done. There's a God who loves him just the way he is and he doesn't have to change a thing to come to Him. He loves him just like he is, and if he gives Him once chance, it'll be the very last night he'll ever spend alone. If you can relate to that, then this song is for you."

The light were dimmed and Tom began playing some notes. As the music began, the ligths turned on, flashing at the audience.

As the song ended, the audience stood up and applauded.

Simon and the others met the group back stage.

"Man, that was awesome," Simon congratulated Theodore.

"Thank you," Theodore replied. He turned to Alvin with a smug look. "So, Alvin, where's my fifty bucks?"

"Right," Alvin said. "Simon?"

Growling at Alvin, Simon took out his wallet and handed Theodore a fifty dollar bill. Theodore pocketed the dollar bill.

"Theodore Seville?" a voice asked.

"Yes?" Theodore said.

A bald man wearing a black suit and black-rimmed glasses approached Theodore. The man's gray eyes met Theodore's blue eyes. He reached inside his suit jacket and pulled out a card, which he handed to Theodore. "I'm Ian Hawke, President of Jett Records and I would like to give you guys a record deal," he stated.

"You think we're that good?" Colin asked.

"Good?" Ian echoed. "Dude, you guys are awesome!"

"What are you doing here?" Theodore inquired.

"Well, I heard that Sanctified was playing tonight and I thought I'd check them out," Ian explained.

"Oh, Dale, there you are," Theodore called. "How'd you like the show?"

Dlae glared at him. "I have to go," he said. He ran off.

"Aw, jeez," Theodore groaned. "Look, let me give you a demo CD, and if you like what you hear, give me a call at 555-6071 so we can schedule a meeting," he added to Ian. He handed the man a CD from his backpack, then chased after Dale. "Hey, Dale, wait up," he called.

Now outside, Dale stormed over to Ms. Miller's car. He started to open the door, but Theodore slammed it shut.

"Dale, stop, please," Theodore begged.

"What you did in there was unforgiveable, inexcusable," Dale growled.

"What did I do?" Theodore demanded.

"Hello! You just announced to everyone my personal life! I don't do that to you!"

"I did that for you–"

"Whoa, let's back up here. You didn't do that for me. You did that just to win your stupid bet with Alvin!"

Theodore rubbed his neck and looked down at the ground. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he agreed.

Dale pulled out a gun and pointed it at Theodore. "Not another word," he snapped. "If you say one more word, I swear to God I'll splatter your brains all over the fucking pavement!"

Theodore held up his hands. Despite that the chipmunk in front of him was much smaller than him, he was still scared, even though if he got shot he'd just get shot in the shin. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dave and the others approaching, much to his relief. Luckily, Dale was so intent on hurting him that the smaller chipmunk hadn't noticed the group's arrival.

Dale jumped, nearly firing the gun and dropping it, wen he heard Chip's barking voice: "Dale Oakmont, what do you think you're doing?!"

"That's what I'd like to know," Theodore said.

"Shut up," Dale growled.

"Dlae, what are you doing with a gun?" Gadget asked.

Dale turned to the group. "I said shut up," he yelled.

"What's he so upset about?" Ms. Miller asked Theodore.

"Dale's mad at me because I explained the song," Theodore replied.

Seeing Dale distracted, Theodore kicked the gun out of the chipmunk's paws and tackled him to the ground. Of course, Dale didn't go down without a fight, and Theodore didn't expect him to. Dale kicked and clawed at the bigger chipmunk, but to no avail.

"I'll take it from here," Chip told Theodore. He handcuffed Dale once Theodore got off the angry chipmunk.

"Let's go home," Dave suggested.

"Come on, love, let's get going," Colin said to Erik. "With his paw in Erik's paw, the two lovers srode off.

The others went back to the Seville home while Ms. Miller and the Chipettes went to Ms. Miller's house.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

" _Do not steal."_

 _(Exodus 20:15)_

Wanting to give Dal some space and some time to cool down, the Rescue Rangers and the others went out to do some grocery shopping, which was a good excuse to get out of the house, but they needed to go grocery shopping anyway because the family was low on food and drinks.

One by one, each of them grabbed a grocery bag and headed toward the house with Dave leading the way.

When Dave opened the door after unlocking it, they all saw Dale being held at gunpoint by a menacing-looking gray raccon.

"Are you Dave Seville?" the raccoon asked.

"Yes," Dave answered.

"I've heard that you've got fifty thousand dollars in your savings account," the raccoon continued. "Is that true?"

"Yes," Dave repeated.

"Good," the raccoon stated. "You're going to take me down there and give me the money."

"You better listen to him," Dale cried. "If you don't do what he says, he's going to kill me!"

The raccoon twisted Dale's head, causing his neck to crack. "Quiet, you," he snapped.

"Kill him," Alvin declared.

"What'd you say?" the raccoon demanded.

"I said kill him," Alvin repeated.

"Alvin," Simon cried.

"You want to die so badly, Dale?" Alvin continued. "Well, now's your perfect chance."

"Oh, for crying out loud," Chip exclaimed. He charged into the raccoon, headbutting it in its stomach, causing the raccoon to release both the gun and Dale. "Don't move," he ordered as he pulled out his own gun and pointed it at the raccoon.

With ease, the raccoon knocked the gun out of Chip's hands, then roughly kicked Chip off. He stood up and turned to Dale. "What kind of double-cross are you trying to pull, kid?" he asked. He walked out of the house.

Chip got up and walked over to Dale. He extended his paw to help Dale up.

Dale smacked Chip's paw away and stood up, sneering at the other chipmunk. He roughly shoved Chip. "Why don't you mind your own business?" he snapped.

"What are you talking about?" Theodore said. "We just saved you."

"What could you save me from?" Dale yelled. "I set the whole thing up to get money so I could go back to New York."

"I don't believe that," Alvin said. "Why?"

"You guys ruined everything," Dale growled. "Just leave me alone!" He ran out of the house.

Simon sighed. "Should we?" he asked.

"Might as well," Alvin said.

The two boys ran after Dale.

"Love, do you need any help in there?" Colin asked.

"No," Erik replied. "I've got everything covered in here."

The two were working at Smart Shopper. They both wore white shirts and blue vests with their name tags on the vests. Erik was the cashier while Colin was busy sweeping the floor.

Colin entered the main room with the broom in one arm. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Mm-hmm," Erik mumbled.

"Well, okay." He went back to the other room.

Dale entered the store. "Give me all your money," he ordered Erik.

"Whoa, calm down, Dale," Erik said. "Now if you need some money, I'll give you some."

"Don't you get it, man?" Dale cried. "You're getting robbed here."

"Well, I know that's what you're trying to do, but if I give you the money, then you're not robbing me," Erik replied. "Now here's four hundred fifteen dollars." He held out a wad of cash. "Is that enough?"

Dale smacked the money out of the skunk's paws. "I don't want your money," he snapped.

"Erik, is there a problem?" Colin called.

"No, I've got everything under control," Erik reassured the raccoon. He turned to Dale. "What do you want?" he inquired.

"I want you to try to stop me," Dale hollered. "You don't just hand someone the money and say, 'Well, now you're not robbing me.' You're supposed to try to stop me." He grabbed a baseball bat and began knocking the items off their shelves. "I'm going to tear apart this whole store until you do stop me."

Alvin, Simon, and Theodore entered the store.

"Dale, stop," Alvin hollered. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want to," Dale grumbled as he turned over a rack of shelves.

"Stop it, Dale," Theodore ordered. "Your war's with your father, not with anyone else."

"You better back off before I knock you upside the head, Theodore," Dale yelled as he knocked some cereal boxes in the trio's direction. "You're not going to touch me. You got that?"

Theodore held up his hands. "You're right, I'm not," he agreed. "I'm confused, Dale. What do you really want?"

"I want you to hate me," Dale cried.

"You want me to hate you?" Theodore echoed. "Why?"

"'Cause I hate myself," Dale yelled.

"Dale, you're my friend, no matter what you do," Theodore stated. "I could never hate you. Can't you accept that?"

"No," Dale yelled. He ran past the group and tossed the bat over his shoulder, nearly hitting Erik in the head had the skunk not moved to the side just in time.

The three boys helped Erik and Colin clean up the mess that Dale had made.

"This is all your fault, Theodore," Simon said.

Theodore glared at him. "What did I do?" he demanded.

"If you hadn't sung that stupid song of yours last night, this wouldn't have happened," Simon explained.

"Simon, whether or not he did the song, this would've happened anyway," Alvin said.

"Thanks for your help, boys," Erik said.

"You bet, Erik," Alvin said. "Anytime."

"How 'bout some drinks, on the house?" Colin suggested.

"No, thanks," Simon replied.

"Come on," Erik pleaded. "Please?"

Simon sighed. "Fine," he agreed.

Dale sat in a tree, overlooking the park. By now it'd gotten dark, but the end of Dale's cigarette provided some light, aside from the moon.

Incredibly, Dale wasn't hungry, even though it'd been hours since he'd last eaten something. He guessed that he wasn't hungry because the tobacco from his cigarette was altering his appetite. Even though he wasn't hungry, at least he was relaxed.

Hearing his phone ring, he dug out his phone from his shirt pocket and answered the call. "Hello?"

"Hey, where are you?" Foxglove asked. "Your dinner's getting cold."

"I'm in the park."

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I'll be home soon."

"All right. I love you. Bye."

"Bye." He hung up and hopped down from the tree, landing on all fours.

When he got home, Dale realized that everyone else had already eaten. Only Simon and Dave remained in the kitchen. The two were doing the dishes.

"It's in the microwave," Dave told Dale as he walked in the kitchen.

Dale nodded and heated up his plate of food in the microwave, then got himself something to drink. He sat down at the kitchen table and began eating.

"Simon, go upstairs for a minute," Dave said. "I want to talk to Dale."

Simon obediently went upstairs.

Dave sat down beside Dale. "What's with you lately?" he asked.

Dale sighed. "Believe me, I wish I knew," he stated.

"First you rip Alvin's ear off, then you threaten to shoot Theodore–"

"I thought we agreed we weren't going to discuss those two incidents," Dale snapped hatefully.

Dave ignored Dale's angry outburst. "And now you're robbing Erik's store," he continued. "What's happened to you, Dale? This isn't like you. You're not acting like yourself. Ever since your dad came along, you've changed."

"No kidding," Dale agreed.

"Dale, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." He ate a forkful of mashed potatoes.

"All right." He patted Dale's back and got up and left the room.

Dale quickly finished his meal and went to bed.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

" _Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,_

 _the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort,_

 _who comforts us in all our tribulation so_

 _we can comfort them who are in trouble."_

 _(2 Corinthians 1:34)_

" _He was taken up to paradise and heard unspeakable words."_

 _(2 Corinthians 12:4)_

The next day, Alvin and the others went out once again, thinking that Dale would like some time to himself. They went out for lunch, then went to go see a movie.

"That was fun," Gadget said. "We should do it more often."

"I agree," Simon stated.

Alvin raced ahead of the others. He entered the house. As he did so, his foot stepped in something wet. He looked down to see a red liquid on the floor. Something wet hit his cap. He looked up to see Dale's body suspended by a rope tied around the chipmunk's throat. "Help!" he screamed. "Somebody help me!"

The end of the rope was tied to a nail hanging from the wall.

Dale's spirit watched as the group carefully got his body to the floor. Someone called 911 and an ambulance drove his body to the nearest hospital.

Later, Dale's spirit watched as his friends gathered around his hospital bed. He heard someone continually calling his name. He turned to see someone motioning him to follow.

Dale stepped out into the hall. A group of doctors led him down a long hallway. As they went down it, the hallway got darker and darker until it was too dark to see.

Dale was suddenly kicked in the back, thus sending him facefirst into the floor. The doctors turned into what Dale assumed were demons, who began to torment him by striking him, biting him, and yanking on his limbs and fur. The little chipmunk was paralyzed with fear. This was true torture compared to what his father had done to him, which didn't seem significant at all at the the moment.

Dale was kicked in the stomach, knocking him onto his back. Another demon kicked Dale in the chest, which literally knocked the breath out of him. He couldn't breathe.

A warm feeling erupted in his heart. He heard a soft, gentle voice state, "Cry out to Jesus." He was desperate for any kind of Scripture that would help him. _Let's see,_ he thought. "Call upon the Lord and He will deliver you," the voice declared.

"Where's your God now?" a demon shrieked in Dale's ear. He laughed and jumped on Dale's stomach, causing the chipmunk to groan in pain.

"Lord, deliver me from this place of torment," Dale cried.

A bright light appeared, blinding Dale and causing the demons to shriek in fear and flee. Dale began floating upwards toward the light. He felt as if someone or something was pulling him toward the light.

As he got closer to the light, a figure appeared, which got clearer as he neared it. The figure was a white man with long brown hair and a brown goatee. He had brown eyes and wore a white-as-snow robe.

When he got close to the man, the man took Dale in his arms and held him like an infant. Dale felt warm, safe, and secure. More than anything, he felt loved. In his mind, he imagined the love that he was feeling was fattening him up, expanding his stomach and shortening his legs until he became so fat he exploded. That, of course, didn't happen. Now all he needed was a bottle of milk and he'd be completely content.

As if reading his mind, Jesus grabbed a baby bottle of milk from the side and began bottle-feeding the chipmunk. The milk was warm and sweet, as if it'd been mixed with honey. The warm milk heated Dale's entire belly. He could've easily made a living off this beverage, if possible.

Jesus stroked Dale's belly with his finger as the chipmunk continued to chug on the milk. He lovingly storked Dale's head. "You're safe with me," he declared.

Dale's toes curled as he drank more of the milk. He wanted more. He had to have more! He couldn't stop after just one.

"You have two choices, Dale," Jesus said. "You can stay here, or you can return, but you don't have to return."

 _Oh, man,_ Dale thought. He didn't want to return, but he knew he had to. Then again, he didn't want to leave, but he knew he had to. He was almost done with his milk, which meant that he was almost out of time. With one final swig, he finished off the milk. Jesus pried the nipple from Dale's mouth and set the nursing bottle aside.

"I sense something is wrong," Jesus said. "What's troubling you, my child?"

"I'd just like to know where you were during the most troubling times of my life," Dale said.

"My son, I never left you or forsook you. I've always been with you. During the most troubling times of your life, those were the times that I carried you. Do you love me, Dale?"

"Of course I love you," Dale replied. "You've loved me unlike anyone else. Your love for me is extraordinary!"

"Who do you say I am?"

"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

"Do you really believe that, Dale?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then, you are saved, for it is written: 'If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.'"

"What are your plans for me?"

"I would suggest that you return, even though you don't have to. Your friends need you. Besides, you still have a purpose to fulfill."

"But what is my purpose, Lord?"

"In due time, my child. Right now you need to get your life straightened out."

"But how do I do that?"

"You've already taken a step in the right direction. Commit your life to Me and I'll show you how to get your life changed around. You can overcome all obstacles through Me, but remember that I will never test you above anything you're able to bear or do."

Dale descended from the King's throne and back to his body just as a doctor was doing another shock on his body to bring him back to life.

"He's back," a female red fox stated. She looked a lot like Tommy; she had light beige fur from her cheeks to her rump. The only difference between her and her supposed brother was that she had a rounder head. She and the doctor left the room.

"Welcome back," Colin said to Dale. "We thought we'd lost you for a minute there."

"What are you doing here?" Dale asked.

"Alvin called us," Colin explained.

"Us?" Dale echoed.

"Erik and me. We cam to check up on you."

"Oh. So where is your boyfriend?"

"He's down at the vending machines getting something to eat and drink." He chuckled. "Typical Erik. Always hungry."

"Where are the others?"

"They've gone home. They told us to call them when you came to."

"Now, I'm confused. Why are you and Erik in a Christian band if you're not Christian?"

"We're good friends of Theodore's. We just did it to help him out."

"Have you ever considered giving your life over to Christ, 'cause I just did, and I've never felt more alive."

"Theodore suggested the same thing to both me and Erik when he found out that we were lovers."

Erik entered the room with a bag of Funyuns and a bottle of Coca-Cola.

"I hate to leave you, but we've got to get going," Colin said to Theodore. He walked over to Erik and led the skunk out of the room.

The next day, Foxglove and Theodore visited Dale. However, only one visitor was allowed in the room at one time, so they had to go in separetely. Theodore went in first while Foxglove waited outside for her turn.

Theodore set his backpack at Dale's feet. "You're looking well," he said.

"Thanks," Dale replied. He told Theodore about his near-death experience.

"Looks like God finally got your attention, eh?" Theodore said.

Dale nodded in agreement, smiling.

"I brought you some stuff, you know to keep you busy." He unzipped one of the pockets of his book bag an took out a Bible, a CD player, and a CD. "This CD is our demo CD," he explained. "I gave a copy to Ian."

"Thanks," Dale repeated.

"I should get going. I've got homeowrk to do." He left the room.

Foxglove entered the room. "I've really missed you," she said. She rubbed her cheek on Dale's chest.

"Same here," Dale agreed as he petted her head. He kissed her crown. "I love you."

"Miss Foxglove," a voice called.

They both turned to see the red fox from yesterday.

"I realize that you just got in here, but I'm sorry. You'll have to leave," the red fox said. "Visting hours are over at four o' clock."

"Sleep tight, my love," Foxglove said.

"Till tomorrow, my dear," Dale replied. He watched her go.

"I'm Rita," the red fox told Dale. "Rita Landow. I may look familiar to you because my brother's in the band Sanctified."

"Yes, that's right," Dale agreed. "How did you know?"

"Isaw it on TV. Plus, he's been talking about it nonstop for weeks."

"I see."

"Can I get you anything?"

"Milk would be nice."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

" _The serpent was more cunning than any other beast_

 _which the Lord had made."_

 _(Genesis 3:1)_

" _And God said, 'Cast the rod on the ground.'_

 _So Moses cast the rod on the ground and it became_

 _a serpent. Then God said, 'Grab the sanke by its tail.'_

 _So Moses grabbed the serpent by the tail and it became_

 _a rod in his hand."_

 _(Exodus 4:3-4)_

Dale watched TV as he ate his evening meal, which consisted of a harm and cheese sandwich, a bag of chips, a cookie, and, upon Dale's request, a glass of milk mixed with honey. While the meal wasn't delicious, it was certainly better than Gadget's or Monty's cooking. Everything Gadget made tasted like oil, and everything Monty made tasted like cheese. Still, Dale was never one to leave spare food on his plate, no matter how bad it tasted. He was able to look past the taste by concentrating on something else, such as math, even though he was terrible at it.

He sighed as he changed the channels on the TV. "What happened to the days when you could relate to the characters in a show?" he asked. He changed the channel to Cartoon Network. "6Teen? No." The channel was changed to Disney XD. "Hannah Montana? No." He changed the channel to Disney Channel. "Jonas? God, no!" In frustration, he turned off the TV and hurtled the remote across the room.

He wished that Theodore had given him a notebook and pen so he could write some songs. He'd found out that Theodore had been correct in his theory: writing songs did help him get some hidden feelings out into the open and it helped him ease and cope with the pain of losing his father. He supposed he could make up songs in his head and then write them down from memory when he had the chance.

He shook his head and put the idea aside for now. He'd never be able to memorize the lyrics anyway unless he wrote them down.

He drank the rest of his milk and turned te TV back on in hopes of fidning something good to watch. He changed the channel to a R-rated version of _Hannah Montana_.

Jackson entered the beach house. "Maxine is the lady who's feeling all right, thanks to the power of Kid," he clapped his hands, "Dy-no-mite!"

"Jackson, where were you?" Robbie Ray asked. "Dinner was three hours ago."

"Oh, forget him, Daddy," Miley suggested. "He's an idiot." She set her head back on top of her folded arms that rested on top of the table.

"What's wrong with you, Miles?" Jackson asked as he and his father approached the girl.

Miley raised her head again. "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me? My name is Hannah Montana! That's the name of a state. Oh, God . . ." She laid her head down again and wept. "Why is my name Hannah Montana?"

Jackson and Robbie's eyes met.

"Dy-no-mite," Jackson cried.

The next episode showed Miley and Emily Osment (Dale couldn't remember the character's name) becoming lesbians.

The next episode was completely different.

Lily entered the living room of the beach house, where Robbie Ray and Miley sat watching TV. "Have you guys seen Oliver?" she asked.

"Yeah, he's still sulking 'cause Rico threw out his baseball cards," Miley said.

Lily walked off.

"Maybe I should write Oliver a song to make him feel better," Robbie suggested.

Miley chuckled. "Oh, Dad, that's your answer for everything," she replied.

Robbie threw Miley to the ground and began smacking her.

"Dad, Dad," Jackson cried. He ran over to his sister's aid and pulled Robbie up.

"What?!" Robbie yelled.

"Eight is enough," Jackson replied.

Robbie glared at him. "What did you say? What the–bleep–did you just say to me?!"

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I shouldn't have intervened," Jackson said.

Robbie took off his belt. "You little son of a bitch! I'm gonna teach you a lesson!"

"No, Daddy, please, I'm sorry! I promise I'll never disobey you again!"

Dale turned off the TV. He set the remote aside. He patted his fully belly and sighed in content. Out of the corner of his eye he saw something rise over the side of his bed. He turned his head to see a snake slither onto his bed.

"Hello, Dale," the snake said.

He knew he should've been scared, but he wasn't, but he scooted over to the right for fear that the snake might be poisonous. However, the snake kept moving toward him.

"Don't be afraid," the snake said. "I'm harmless."

"What's your name?" Dale asked.

"Lucy," the snake declared. She stroked Dale's cheek with her tongue, tickling him. "You're cute."

"Thanks, but I'm engaged," he told her. "Besides, I don't think it'd work out."

"You've got a cute butt. Why don't we start there?" She started towards his lower body.

He crushed her head with his heel, then grabbed her by the tail, turning her into a rod. "What the . . ." Puzzled, he threw the rod to the floor and turned on his side to go to sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

" _He counts the number of the stars and_

 _calls them all by their names."_

 _(Psalm 147:4)_

Dale was released from the hospital after a series of tests and once it was confirmed that he wasn't a threat to others or himself. Dave picked him up.

Since they hadn't spent any time together in days, Foxglove suggested that Dale and her go out on a date. Dale gleefully agreed to the occasion.

While the ohters ate at home, Dale and Foxglove went out to eat. After eating, the two went to the park and gazed at the stars.

"Wow, there's so many of them," Foxglove said.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Dale asked.

She rolled over on top of him. "I love you," she told him. She kissed him. "You're so cute." She kissed him again. He felt her tongue enter his mouth, making him gag.

He moaned in pleasure and wrapped his arms around her. "Foxglove, more," he begged.

She tore off his shirt, then continued to kiss him repeatedly.

"I love you . . . so much," he cried.

She kissed him once more, then sat up. "I want to go to New York for our honeymoon," she told him.

He shrugged. "Okay." He sat up. "Must be getting late. Maybe we should be heading home."

She pushed him down until he was lying on his back. She climbed on top of him. "No, let's stay here," she suggested. She kissed him again.

He couldn't help but agree with her. He wanted nothing more than to stay in her wings. If possible, he would've stayed in the position forever. Sadly, however, he soon grew tired and suggested that they go home. She reluctantly agreed.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

" _All night I make my bed swim._

 _I water my couch with my tears."_

 _(Psalm 6:6)_

Dale went to the public library the next day to use the computer. As he was looking up Bible verses to help him cope with his fahter's death, his phone rang. He anwered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, how's my favorite songwriter?" Theodore said.

"Theodore?" Dale asked. He checked the clock on the computer screen. It was only forty-five minutes past twelve o' clock. "What are you doing calling me? Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Today was a half-day. Me, Simon, and Alvin just stopped to get some lunch. Just get me anything that doesn't have meat on it! You know I'm a vegetarian! Sorry, Dale."

"So, are you and your band major rock stars?"

"That remains to be seen. I still haven't gotten any word back from Ian. Nonetheless, keep writing songs, just in case we do get a record deal."

"You bet, Theo. I think it's really helping."

"Glad to hear it. I told you it'd help. It definitely helped me when I was going through a lot of problems, mostly spiritual stuff. I've got to go. Lunch is here. Love you, man."

"Big love, my brother." He hung up and turned back to the computer screen. He typed in a web address: .com. The alternate website address was: .com. The website had been started by Theodore after he'd become a peer counselor to help other people in the communtiy and worlwide.

The website had over ten thousand members, including the Chipettes and Erik and Colin. Most of Erik and Colin's posts were about the two struggling with their sexuality. It was clear to Dale that they desperately wanted to get their lives right with Christ. Even some Chrisitna artists and authors had joined.

"Wow," Dale cried. He clicked on "register' and filled out the required information. A message appeared on the screen: "Thank you. A message has been sent to your e-mail address. This message contains the code you will need to type in so we (the administrators) can verify your account for membership. If the message does not appear in your inbox, notify one of the administrators and verify your e-mail address and we will resend the message straight away."

Dale typed in the code and waited for his account to be verified. Assumg that it would take a while, he logged off the computer and left the library.

Theodore's call from Ian came the following Saturday. They both agreed that Theodore and the other members of the band, including Dale, would meet Ian next Saturday to sign the contract that Ian had made. Dave agreed to drive the group to the Jett Records studio.

Dale entered the kitchen Monday morning. By now Dave had gone to work and the boys had gone to school.

"Dale,' a voice spoke.

He jumped and looked up to see Foxglove hanging upside down from the ceiling fan. She flew down to him.

"Morning," he greeted her.

"Dale, I want to postpone the wedding," she told him.

He frowned. "What? Why?"

"The others and I have agreed that you need professional help, so we're sending you to a mental hospital."

"Wait a minute. You guys are throwing me in the loony bin just because I'm a little depressed?"

"I'd say you're suffering from major depression, but, Dale, it's not my idea. Honest, Dale."

He sighed. "I don't believe this."

"Dale, please. Go along with it. If not for yourself, then at least do it for us. We're worried about you."

He shoved her and scowled. "That's all I ever hear anymore," he yelled vehemently. "I'm fine; there's nothing wrong with me! Stop worrying about me! Leave me alone!" His expression softened when he saw the frightened look on her face. It'd been the very first time he'd yelled at her, or anyone for that matter. He sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just really stressed out right now."

She nodded. "I understand. Like to join me for breakfast? I made waffles, your favorite. Well, one of your favorites."

He smiled. "I'd love to."

After breakfast, they went to the living room to watch TV. They spent the whole day together, talking, laughing, and planning their future. It was pure bliss for them. They hadn't spent much time together in weeks, mainly because Dale had been preoccupied. They both agreed that they wanted to have children, though Dale wanted to hold off on having children until a few years into their marriage.

The others weren't surprised to hear how Dale had reacted to the news of being sent to a mental hospital. They figured he'd be upset, but they all agreed that it was for Dale's own good.

The following Saturday, Dave drove Theodore, Dale, Tommy, Nathan, Erik, Colin, and Brittany to the Jett Records studio and aid that he wanted to be called once the deal was over and done with.

Ian led the group up to his office. "How is everyone feeling today?" he inquired.

"Great," Theodore stated.

"Good, good," Ian replied.

They entered Ian's office. While Theodore sat in the chair across from Ian's desk, the others stood around the chair.

Ian sat down across from Theodore. "So, here's the contract," he said as he patted a sheet of paper on his desk. "Theodore, I'll let you look over it to make sure that everything's in order." He handed Theodore the contract.

With the others reading it over his shoulder, Theodore read the contract. He suddenly frowned.

"Is there a problem?" Ian inquired.

"I also write songs for the band," Dale said.

"That's fine," Ian replied. "We can get that fixed."

"And," Dale added, "I would like to receive credit for the songs I write. That means that on the album it is clarified that I wrote the songs. I would also like to do the music for my songs."

"Okay," Ian agreed. "Let me just type that up and print it out, then you can sign it."

"Excellent," Theodore said. He signed the edited contract.

"How soon will you be able to get started on your first album?" Ian asked.

"I guess when it's convenient for all of us," Theodore stated. "Are we done here/"

"I think so," Ian replied. "Thanks for coming, guys."

"Well, if you ask me, I think he was being too lenient," Dave said. "Just be careful around this guy, Theodore."

"I will," Theodore promised.

Dave looked in the rear-view mirror at Dale, who had his arms folded and a scowl on his face. "Still giving us the silent treatment, eh, Dale?" he asked.

"He's still amd at us for sending him to a mental hospital," Theodore replied. He turned around in his seat to look at Dale. "Don't worry, you'll feel better once we start our tour."

"Tour?" Dave asked. "What tour?"

"The tour to promote our debut CD," Theodore explained.

"Don't get your hopes too high," Dave urged. "Remember, you still have Alvin and Simon to deal with."

"Yeah, I know," Theodore said.

Dale was notified by Foxglove that his father's funeral would be held on Tuesday at eleven A.M.

When the three got home, Dale asked Simon if he could use the computer. Simon agreed and clicked on the "X" button, making his Solitaire game disappear.

"Thanks," Dale said. He got on the Internet and checked his e-mail. He had a message from one of the administrators at . The message had four words: "Welcome to the site." He also had a message from Theodore. He clicked on it. It read: "Dale, I am thrilled that you joined my little club. I hope you have fun on this site, but more importantly, I hope you grow in your faith through the insight of some of our members, such as LeCrae, KJ-52, tobyMac, or Mac Powell. If you have any questions, please contact me. Thank you."

"Okay, I'm done," Dale told Siomn. He exited the Internet and hopped off the desk.

At dinner, Dale brought up the subject of being sent to the mental hospital.

"Mentally wise, you're not well," Gadget told him. "Once you're in the right state of mind, you'll be set free."

"But I am free," Dale argued. "Christ freed me."

"That's true, but you're not free from sin," Theodore agreed. "You're still going to be tempted to sin. I, for example, have been tempted many times to steal."

"I'm confused," Dale interrupted. "Who tempts you: God or Satan?"

"When God tempts you, He wants to see if you're committed to your faith," Theodore interpreted. "When Satan tempts you, he does it to lead you away from Christ."

"Yeah, that part I got," Dale replied. "But how do you know when it's God or Satan tempting you?"

Theodore shrugged. "Something just tells you," he declared. "Something inside you tells you that there's something evil about the test, so you don't do it, because you know it's wrong."

"But I thought God didn't test people," Dale remarked. "After all the Bible says that we shouldn't test God, so He shouldn't test us, right?"

Before Theodore could answer, Alvin butted in. "Let's get real here," he said. "Religion is man-made. Christianity isn't any different from Buddhism. Buddha was a man who taught the same principles as Jesus, and if you do your research, you'll find out that Christianity is in fact based off Buddhism."

"How is that, Alvin?" Theodore inquired.

"I can't remember the guy's name, but I read in a book somewhere–"

"You mean you actually read a book, not a comic book?" Simon asked.

Alvin ignored his brother's comment and went on. "I read in a book somewhere that some guy was crucified and rose from the dead three days later. Buddha also had a lot of followers, like Jesus. All the prophecies surrounding Jesus also happened to the guy who was crucified."

"Well, if I'm not mistaken," Gadget said, "didn't Buddha live during the time of Jesus?"

"Yes, that's correct," Alvin said.

"So, how do you know the Buddhists didn't just borrow the Christian beliefs?" Gadget asked.

"I don't," Alvin admitted.

"Now, Dale, back to your question," Theodore said. "God tests us to see if we will remain loyal to Him or abandon Him. Testing God would be like jumping off a building and expecting Him to catch you."

"Like Satan did with Jesus," Dale pointed out.

"Exactly," Theodore agreed.

"Alvin, haven't you noticed a change in my behavior?" Dale asked.

"Yes, I've noticed a dramatic change in your behavior," Alvin said.

"We all have, lad," Monty spoke up.

"So, why again are you sending me to a mental hopsital?" Dale asked.

"We believe you're suffering from a mental disorder," Gadget stated.

"Which one?"

"We're not sure yet," Chip declared.

"If you do in fact have a mental disorder, you need to realize, Dale, that that's a demon trying to reel you in and lead you away from Christ."

"Yes, I realize that," Dale said. "But like the Bible says, when I was reborn, my mind was renewed."

"Oh, God, would you two listen to the drivel spewing out of your mouths?" Simon cried. "A mental disorder is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, not by a demon, you idiot!"

"Hey," Dale shouted, making everyone jump. He glared and pointed a finger at Simon. "You can say whatever you want and this, that, and the other, but I will not tolerate name calling in my presence! Is that clear?!"

"Yes, but–" Simon began.

"Do you understand me?!" Dale hollered.

Simon didn't respond.

"Answer me," Dale snapped hotly.

"Yes, I understand you," Simon replied.

Erik and Colin entered the house wearing red bowling shirts. The sleeves were black as well as the sides and back. On the shirt pocket were their names written in cursive. Both of them had the first couple of buttons unbuttoned.

"Dale, we're going bowling," Colin said. "Would you–"

"Yes, I would," Dale said. He got up and joined them.

"Theodore, what about you?" Erik asked.

"Count me in," Theodore declared. He joined the three friends and they went outside to Colin's car.

The floorboards of the backseat were littered with books by Melissa Daniels.

"Colin, your backseat is trashed," Theodore said. He gently kicked the books to one side and got in with Dale behind him.

"Don't blame me, blame Erik," Colin said. He pushed his seat back and got in.

"We gave our lives to Christ today," Erik said.

"That's great," Dale said. "I'm proud of you, guys."

"I met a girl," Colin added. "You'll meet her tonight."

"You'll also meet my girlfriend," Erik told them.

"She wouldn't happen to be Melissa Daniels, would she?" Dale asked Erik.

"Correct, my friend," Erik stated. "She was one of my schoolmates. Granted, she constantly teased me and whatnot. The one thing we did have in common, however, is that we both loved eating and writing."

"Face it, you two are a perfect match," Theodore said to Erik.

Erik had originall ybeen a writer for _The Lakeland Courier_ in Massachusetts, but after getting an article reject he quit and went back to school to start his own restaurant.

The group arrived at the bowling alley a few minutes later. As they entered, a Virginia opossum waved them over.

"Theodore, Dale, this is Brenda, my girlfriend," Colin said.

"And this is Melissa," Erik added. He pointed to a skunk who was at the computer typing in their names.

Melissa rose from her seat and greeted Dale and Theodore. She looked like Erik. For one thing, she was extremely thin and had blue eyes. Erik had green eyes.

The group played at least two games of bowling once Dale and Theodore got their bowling shoes. Afterward, they went out for pizza.

Dale and Theodore got home late.

On Tuesday, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore were allowed to go to Jeremy's funeral. Dale was less than enthusiastic about going and had to be forced to go.

During the pastor's speech, Theodore looked over his shoulder at Dale to see the chipmunk writing in his notebook, probably writing down lyrics. Clearly, Dale wasn't about to show any emotion anytime soon. He turned back to the front. He looked over at the right to see his fellow band members with Erik and Colin and their girlfriends.

Dale was eager to go home after the burial, but the others insisted that he stay for a while, against his wishes. "Come on, I'm starving," he complained. "Let's go get some lunch." They agreed, but only because they were sick of Dale's whining.

They went to the mall to eat, where each individual could eat at their favorite restaurant. Erik, Colin, Brenda, and Melissa sat at a table by themselves, while Theodore and the other band members of Sanctified sat at another table. Alvin sat with Simon, Jeanette, and Eleanor since Brittany was sitting with Theodore.

After lunch, Alvin, Simon, Theodore, and the Chipettes went back to school while the others went home.

"Finally," Dale cried as he entered the Seville home.

"Dale, aren't you depressed at all that your father's dead?" Gadget asked.

"He can go burn in hell for all I care," Dale snapped.

"Oh, yeah, that's real Christian," Chip said.

"Whatever," Dale replied. "I'm going to go do some writing." He went upstairs.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

" _The person that God loves will dwell in safety by God._

 _The Lord will cover him all day long and he will dwell_

 _between God's shoulders."_

 _(Deuteronomy 33:12)_

" _God is our refuge and strength. He is very helpful in_

 _times of trouble. Therefore, we will not fear anything,_

 _even if the Earth is removed and if the mountains_

 _be cast into the sea."_

 _(Psalm 46:1-2)_

Dale didn't leave for the mental hospital until the following Saturday. They did it on the weekend so everyone could say good-bye. Ms. Miller and the Chipettes came to the Seville home to also say goodbye to their mentally ill companion. Even Erik and Colin and their friends came to say goodbye.

"All right, Dale, let's go," Dave said.

Dale got in the passenger seat of Dave's car.

"Remember, Jesus I always with you," Theodore said to Dale.

"Shut up, Theodore," Simon and Alvin said in unison.

The drvie was silent as Dave drove to Boston. "You know why we're doing this, right?" he asked Dale.

"Yeah," Dale replied. For the first time he looked over at Dave. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Deal with Alvin and still manage being a parent?"

"Alvin is a handful, but I frequently ground him. I rarely have any trouble out of Simon or Theodore."

"And that helps?"

"Sometimes."

"If that doesn't help, what do you do?"

"I talk to him and try to explain things."

"You never spank him?"

"God, no! See, I believe that spanking is a form of physical abuse."

"It isn't physical abuse if you're spanking them to correct them. If you're just spanking them for no reason, then it's physical abuse."

"Whatever." He sighed. "Alvin's not a bad kid. He's not some juvenile delinquent. A question I get from a lot of people is, 'How could you possibly love a child like Alvin?'" He shook his head.

"Who's your favorite?"

"I don't play favorites. You remember what happened when Jacob played favorites?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"But Simon's the best. I never have any problems out of him."

Dale turned his attention back to the window. He found it hard to believe that Dave never blew his top over the way Alvin behaved. He hoped to be a father himself one day.

After Dave dropped him off, Dale entered the Boston Mental Hospital. He signed in at the front desk, then followed Rita to his room. Rita explained to him that she switched from hospital to hospital from time to time.

Dale's room was small. Aside from the bed and camera in the corner, there wasn't any other furniture in the room. _This must be what jail's like,_ Rita thought.

"So, this is your room," Rita stated. "Meals are served at eight AM, one PM, and eight PM. Enjoy your stay." She left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Gee, thanks," Dale mumbled. He dumped his suticase at the door of his bed and laid down. It smelled like fabric softener.

At the Seville home, the phone rang. Gadget answered it. "Hello? Yes, this is she. Yes. Yes. Thank you. Bye." She hung up and turned to the others. Her face was distorted in pain and worry. "Dale's been diagnosed with bipolar disorder."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

" _Behold, now is the day of salvation."_

 _(2 Corinthians 6:2)_

The Rescue Rangers and the Chipmunks came to visit Dale the next weekend. Not to Dale's surprise, Foxglove was the first to the room.

"I've written twenty-seven new songs, more than I've ever written in a week," he told her. "I can't sleep at all."

Foxglove could see how sleep deprived her lover was. He seemed jumpy or on-ege. He fiddled with his paws and fingers. His body shook. His eyes were bloodshot. Scratches, teeth marks, and cuts covered his arms. He looked thinner and his face looked flushed. _My God, he looks terrible,_ she thought.

"Must be the drugs," he added. "Why is it that despite everything they're telling me, I feel fine?" His eyes darted from one part of the room to the other.

"You're bipolar," Foxglove said. "It's due to a chemical imbalance in your brain."

"That explains the mood swings."

"Indeed. You also suffer from mania. It's classified as being fine one moment, then you're all pissed off the next moment."

Dale's head began to rotate and his eyes opened and shut.

"Dale, are you okay?" Foxglove inquired.

Dale suddenly fell to the floor. His body shook and jerked as blood shot from his mouth and onto the floor. His eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"Somebody help," Foxlgove yelled.

Theodore and the others rushed into the room with Rita leading the way.

"Everyone, stay away from him," Rita ordered. She pulled Foxglove back.

"I don't understand," Foxglove said. "What's wrong with him?"

Rita shrugged.

Dale's body continued to jerk and shake uncontrollably while his tongue flickered in and out of his mouth. Apparently, he was trying to speak but was unable to do so.

The jerking suddenly stopped and Dale's body lied motionless on the floor. The room became quiet, almost as if someone had hit the "mute" button on a remote, causing everyone to go dumb.

Dale's body moved, making everyone scream and jump. The chipmunk stood up and smiled at the group. "Hello," he said. The voice that came out didn't sound anything like Dale's voice; this voice was deep, dark, somewhat evil and demonic.

Simon chuckled. "Very funny, Dale," he said. "Knock it off. Joke's over."

"Fool," the red-nosed chipmunk hollered. "I'm not Dale."

"Then, who are you and what have you done with Dale?" Theodore demanded.

"My name is Legion, for we are many," the chipmunk replied. "You need not worry about your friend. He's in good hands."

"Get me out of here," Alvin yelled. He began towards the door.

With a sweep of his paw through the air, the chipmunk caused the door to slam shut, blocking Alvin's exit. "No one is going anywhere," he snapped.

Theodore took out his Bible from his backpack.

"Do you carry that book with you everywhere you go?" Simon asked Theodore.

"Pretty much," Theodore replied.

"Spare me your little sermon, boy, and allow us to enter the deafly ill," the chipmunk said to Theodore. "They're practically on their deathbeds. Why make them wait? Why not just kill them all now, spare them the agony of dying a slow death?"

"Fine," Theodore agreed.

Dale's head was thrown back and his mouth was opened so that the legion of demons were purged from the chipmunk's tiny body. The demons disappeared as they went through the ceiling to the next floor.

The group heard a series of windows shattering shortly afterward. They watched as dozens of bodies flew past the window, plummeting to their death.

Dale's body collapsed to the floor.

"Dale," Chip cried. He started towards his friend, but Rita roughly pulled him back, causing him to fall on his behind.

"Don't touch him," Rita growled. She cautiously approached Dale. Carefully, she turned him over onto his back and gently pressed an ear against his chest. She sighed in relief. "He's still breathing, but he's unconscious." She gently picked him up and tucked him into bed. She turned to the group. "I suggest you all leave now."

"Where's Alvin?" Dave asked.

No one had noticed that Alvin had left the room, probably because they were all too focused on Dale or probably because the noise from earlier had drowned out the sound of the door shutting.

"I'll go look for him," Theodore said.

Alvin was located in the hospital's cafeteria. He was sitting alone at a nearby table with a can of soda and his cap resting on the table. He looked distressed, even scared.

Theodore approached Alvin. When he reached his brother, he asked, "Now do you believe me?"

Alvin nodded. "You bet," he said. He took out his wallet and pulled out a wad of cash that he proposed to his little brother. "How much? How much money will I have to pay for me to have what you have?"

Theodore shook his head. "Your money perishes with you because you think the Kingdom of God can be bought with money," he said. "Only when you confess your sins and commit your life to Jesus Christ can you be saved. Will you be saved today? Will you accept God's love and forgiveness?"

"Yes, yes," Alvin cried.

Theodore grinned. "Wonderful."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

" _Crying may come in the night,_

 _but joy comes in the morning."_

 _(Psalm 10:5)_

" _My tears have been my food day and night._

 _They constantly ask me, 'Where is your God?"_

 _(Psalm 42:3)_

" _Put my tears into your bottle."_

 _(Psalm 56:8)_

" _God, don't hold your peace against my tears."_

 _(Psalm 39:12)_

Once Dale was well enough, the Rescue Rangers packed their things and loaded their luggage onto the Ranger Wing.

Dale hugged Dave. "Thank you . . . for everything," he said.

"You bet, Dale," Dave replied. "Anytime."

"Ready to go, Dale?" Chip inquired.

Dale nodded and climbed in the Ranger Wing.

The ride home was tedious and tiresome. On more than one occasion, they had to stop and refill the fuel tank. After many days of flying, the group finally reached New York.

Dale parked the Ranger Wing on the runway. "All right, everyone out," he bellowed.

They unloaded the luggage from the Ranger Wing and each person took their luggage to their rooms.

As Dale unpacked his things, the events that had occurred over the past few weeks flashed through his mind. It seemed just like yesterday when he'd packed his things and had run away. He couldn't believe that he'd run away just a few weeks ago.

Feeling hot, he took off his shirt and opened the window, letting a cool breeze flow to the room and throughout the house. The weather outside was lovely. Couples strolled through the park, hand in hand, making him think of Erik and Colin. He had to admit that the two made a cute couple. Honestly, it was a shame they'd broken up, but on the other hand, at least he'd be able to meet them in heaven, just as long as they didn't backslide and become a couple again.

He returned to his suitcase and continued to unpack his things. As he removed a pair of shirts, he discovered a book with a piece of folded paper taped to it. He took it out and removed the paper. He unfolded it and read.

 _Dear Dale,_

 _This book greatly helped me grow in my spirituality. I pray that it does the same for you. Just remember that God gave you a special purpose when He created you. This book will help you realize what that purpose is. Love in Christ._

 _Your friend and brother in Christ,_

 _Theodore Seville_

Dale looked down at the book Theodore had given him. It was called _The Purpose Driven Life_ by Rick Warren.

He recalled that Gadget had an old laptop that she barely used. Despite that it was a Windows Vista, which he hated, he needed a laptop. He wanted to check his e-mails. Gadget allowed him to use it and gave him the password to her log-in name.

Before he could get online, he heard a knock at his door. "Come in," he called. He was expecting to see Foxglove, but Chip entered the room.

"You doing okay?" Chip asked.

"I'm doing fine," Dale replied.

Chip sat down on the side of Dale's bed. "Are you sure?"

Dale nodded. "I'm positive."

"Good." He stood up. "What do you want for dinner?"

Dale shrugged. "No clue."

"I'll think of something. I should get going." He left the room.

Dale logged onto the computer, then went to once he'd double-clicked on the Internet icon.

Two hours later, Dale was called to dinner. He closed the laptop and entered the kitchen.

"Hungry?" Gadget asked him.

"Somewhat," Dale replied. He pulled back his chair and sat down.

"Well, I hope you are," Gadget added, "because I made spaghetti."

"Great," he cried.

"I knew you'd be happy," she said.

Dale only had one helping of spaghetti. Afterward, he took a shower to relax himself. Before going to bed, he started reading the book Theodore had given him. He decided to start day number two tomorrow.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

" _Don't hold a grudge against your enemy,_

 _lest you be condemned."_

 _(James 5:9)_

" _If someone is willing to sacrifice themselves for their friends,_

 _there is no greater love than that."_

 _(John 15:13)_

Dale woke up late in the night to see Chip bursting in the room. Though Dale now shared the bedroom with Foxglove, Chip's stuff was still in the bedroom.

Chip strode over to the dresser and pulled out one of the drawers.

Dale sat up. "What's going on?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"Nothing," Chip declared. "We're just going to go see what's going on in the city."

Dale leaped out of bed, excited now. "I'll go with you," he suggested.

Chip shut the drawer with his foot since his arms were full of shirts. It was cold out tonight. "No," he protested. "You stay here."

"What? Why?"

"Just 'cause."

"Come on, Chip, what's going on?"

"That's between me and the others. You just stay here and stay out of trouble." He headed to the door.

"Whatever happened to nobody gets left behind?" Dale snapped.

Chip stopped and turned to him. "I'm sorry, but this is just something I have to do on my own," he said.

"So, that's it, huh?" Dale asked. "No explanation. You just leave me behind, just like my father?" He felt tears well up in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away.

"I know this doesn't make any sense to you now, but, trust me, it will hereafter," Chip replied. "Just stay here and stay out of this, Dale. I want you to promise me you'll stay here."

"But–"

"Promise me!"

Dale sighed. "I promise."

Chip left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Dale was tempted to go after him, but he went back to bed instead.

"Chip, are you sure about this?" Gadget asked.

"I can handle this on my own. Don't worry about me," Chip replied. "Make sure Dale stays here."

"Chip, be careful," Gadget advised.

"I will. Just make sure Dale stays out of trouble." He walked out of the room and outside.

Dale's curiosity got the better of him. He knew how the others had found him. It'd been due to a tracking device that had been inserted into his skin. Everyone of the Rescue Rangers had one. This way, they ould keep track of each other so no one got lost. Going on this thesis, he went to Gadget's room and got the tracker, which was laying on Gadget's bedside table.

He trapped the screen, bringing up the map of the city of New York. "Okay, Chip, where are you?" he questioned. It didn't take him long to find Chip. The blinking yellow light stuck out like a sore thumb. As he followed the light's path, he noticed that it was traveling awful fast. "He must be using the Ranger Wing."

He entered the living room.

"Dale, what are you doing with the tracker?" Gadget inquired.

"I need to find Chip,' Dale replied.

"He told us to make sure you stayed here, lad," Monty spoke up.

"Sorry," Dale replied. "Something's going on, and I want to know what."

"Dale, I think it would be wise to listen to Chip, just this once," Foxglove stated.

Dale snorted. "Sorry," he repeated.

Foxglove sighed. "You really want to do this?"

Dale nodded.

"Fine," she agreed. "I'll take you. Just tell me where to go."

Hanging from Foxglove's talons, Dale told his fiance where she needed to go. When the blinking light stopped moving, he told her to go down. They landed on the ground beside an old abandoned warehouse.

The warehouse looked like it hadn't been like used in years. Wooden boards covered the windowless windows while blinds covered others. The lamp above the front door, which rested on only the middle hinge, thus making it block the doorway since it leaned against the other side of the doorframe, flickered on and off.

"Jeez, what a dump," Foxglove said. "Why on Earth would Chip come here?"

"I think I have an idea," Dale stated. "Come on." He led her inside the warehouse.

Not to their surprise, the warehouse was dark.

"Foxglove, see if you can find Chip," he said. "If you do, report back to me and lead me to him."

Foxglove nodded and flew off. Moments later, she landed beside Dale. "Come on," she said. She led him up to the third floor, where Chip and Bryan Priddy were located.

Dale instantly recognized Bryan as he'd seen his picture back on the TV when he'd been released from jail. "You," he yelled, pointing a finger at Bryan. He launched himself at the gray squirrel.

"Dale, wait," Foxglove cried.

Dale didn't wait to listen. He gripped Bryan's throat and began to beat the squirrel's head against the floor. "You killed my father, you creep!"

Bryan pushed Dale off. "I'll take care of you first," he said. He pulled out a gun from his jacket and pointed it at Dale. He cocked the hammer and closed one eye.

 _Dale, no,_ Chip thought. He raced toward the chipmunk. _We've been through too much together,_ he went on. _I can't let you die. I remember the first day I met you. You were just a little kid, only fifteen years of age. I took you in and raised you as my own. I know I was hard on you, but it was for your own good. You never ceased to amaze me. Every time I thought I had you all figured out, you'd turn around and do something extraordinary. The harder things became, the more determined you became. Your determination to never give up is what kept you part of the Rescue Rangers team. Although you were like a child, I never gave up on you. If I can sacrifice my life for you, then that's something worth dying for._

Dale watched as Chip dove in front of the bullet. The bullet ripped through Chip's chest and flew out his back. Blood spilled out from the wound. Chip gripped his chest, gasping and shuddering as he collasped to the floor.

"Chip," Dale cried. He ran to his friend's aid.

"Dale," Chip groaned.

Dale put a finger on Chip's mouth. "Don't talk," he advised. "You're just hastening your death."

"No," Chip argued. "You have to hear this. Please. All those years I tormented you and treated you like a child, I didn't mean it. I didn't know about your father."

"I know. Please, be quiet."

"No!"

Dale smiled. Even on his deathbed, his friend still argued.

"I'm sorry for the way I treated you," Chip went on. "No one deserves that kind of treatment, not even you. I'm sorry, so sorry. Can-can you ever forgive me?" He coughed up some blood.

"Of course I can," Dale replied. "You're my best friend. How could I not forgive you?"

"Dale . . ." He gripped Dale's shirt and lowered the chipmunk until their noses were touching. "Kill him . . . for me. No matter what it takes, do whatever it takes to make sure there's no trace of him left."

"Chip, hold on for me, please."

Chip shook his head. "I can't do that," he stated. "I'm-I'm too weak."

"Foxglove, get Chip out of here now!" Dale shouted. "Hurry!"

Foxglove quickly picked Chip up and carried him off.

Dale turned to Bryan. "You took my father away from me, and now my best friend," he said. "You don't deserve to live after what you've done."

Bryan laughed. "You, a lowly chipmunk, think you can defeat me?" he asked.

"I don't think, I know."

"Well, then, let's see what you've got, little man."

"Enough talk! Let's fight, now!"

"Very well. Your move, Sherlock."

 _Don't hold anything back,_ Dale, Dale told himself. He ran towards Bryan. He kicked the squirrel in the stomach. Bryan fell to his knees, dropping the gun. Dale grabbed it and pointed it at the squirrel's head.

Bryan kicked Dale in the leg. He stood up and elbowed Dale in the face. He turned around and smacked the chipmunk in the mouth. "You're not going to win that easily," he commented.

Dale smiled. "Good," he replied. "I love a challenge."

"Cast the gun aside. I want to win fair and square."

Dale nodded and threw the gun to the side.

Bryan made the first move. Dale grabbed his paw and flipped the squirrel onto his back. He smiled. Those training sessions with Chip were really starting to pay off.

Bryan rolled backward, kicking Dale in the face. He stood up and once again tried to punch the chipmunk. Dale was faster. Once again, he grabbed the squirrel's paw and kicked him in the stomach.

Bryan fell to his knees, clutching his stomach. Dale kicked him in the head with a sweep of his leg, knocking the squirrel to the side.

Bryan didn't move. He'd stopped breathing. Apparently, Dale had whacked him in his temple.

Dale picked up the gun, then turned to Bryan. "Sned me a postcard from hell, let me know if it's hot enough," he said.

Chip lied on the couch, looking frail. His breathing came out in short wheezes. His wound had been bandaged up, but he still wasn't faring any better. He was actually getting worse.

Gadget dipped a washrag into a bowl of cool water and put it on Chip's head. "Hang in there, Chip," she stated.

Chip sighed in content as the cold cloth touched his forehead. He felt hot. He sat up and took off his jacket and cast it aside, then lied back down. His chest heaved up and down. The pain was excruciating. He didn't know how much longer he'd last, though he hoped he'd last long enough to see Dale before he passed away. He loved the chipmunk like a son. He knew that his death would be extremely hard on Dale. He imagined that Dale would be enraged. He wouldn't blame him for being furious. He'd lost his father and now his best friend.

Fifteen minutes later, Chip passed away, but no without making Jesus his personal Lord and Savior. Knowing that he'd meet Dale again in heaven, his death was a peaceful one.

Now the group had a major dilemma on their hands: which one of them was going to tell Dale the bad news? More importantly, how were they going to tell him?

Dale entered the house moments later, looking exhausted.

"Dale," Foxglove said. She carefully approached him. "Dale, Chip's gone. He didn't make it."

Dale marched out of the room and to his room, slamming the door shut.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

" _Those who sow in tears will soon reap in joy."_

 _(Psalm 126:5)_

Dale remained in an ill mood throughout the rest of the week. He couldn't sleep and he couldn't keep himself from thinking, _That should've been me._ After all, Chip was their leader, their backbone. He had no clue what they were going to do now that their leader was gone.

His appetite continued to fluctuate. Some days he refused to eat anything, claiming that he wasn't hungry. Other days he would eat as if it was his last meal.

Dale wasn't sure how he felt. There were so many emotions swimming in his heart that he was confused as to how he was supposed to feel. Anger, guilt, and abandonement were the three main emotions that he felt daily. To keep himself from going insane, he read his Bible and _The Purpose Driven Life_ and stayed active at , where he found a huge amount of encouragement from the other members.

In hopes of consoling Dale, Gadget entered his room one day. The chipmunk was lying on his bed with his left leg crossed over his right leg and his Bible propped up on his crossed legs.

"Dale, how are you?" Gadget asked.

Dale didn't respond. He turned a page.

"Look, things could be worse," she went on. "I mean, we would've lost you."

"But you didn't, I know," Dale snapped hotly. "I wish I did die so I wouldn't feel so bad."

"Dale, you don't really mean that, do you?"

"Of course, I do. My best friend is gone, Gadget. How should I feel?"

"Not like this. Look, just calm down."

"Calm down? If I hadn't run off, this wouldn't have happened!" He grabbed a vase and hurtled it across the room. The vase shattered the TV. He cast his eyes toward the ceiling. "Why?" he shouted. "Why are you doing this to me? What have I done wrong?!"

Gadget gently touched his shoulder, causing him to turn to her. "You haven't done anything wrong," she told him. She huged him, slowly rubbing his back. "You'll be happy to know that Chip got saved before he died."

"Good," he replied. He walked over to his bed and grabbed his Bible, then headed to the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I'm going for a walk."

The walk seemed to do Dale some good. He appeared to be in a more cheerful mood when he returned.

Chip's funeral finally arrived.

Dale was in his room putting on his tuxedo. He examined himself in the mirror. He looked good. The band of his tuxedo was blue. He imagined that the funeral would be too painful for him to bear, but he wanted to go. He sighed and headed out the door.

He met the others outside behind the tree. Chip's tombstone was in front of them. Monty was wearing his own tuxedo, which was black and the band was blue like Dale's. Gadget and Foxglove were both wearing black dresses, whereas Zipper wore his red shirt.

"So," Gadget said. She cleared her throat. "Wh would like to begin?"

No one volunteered.

"How 'bout you, Dale?" Gadget suggested. "You knew him better than any of us."

Dale clutched the flower he held in his paws as tears filled his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I can't do this," he squeaked. He threw his flower to the ground and walked off.

Once everyone else had gone back inside the house, Dale carefully approached Chip's grave. He reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, which he unfolded. It read: "And Jesus said to him, 'Today you will be with me in paradise.' Luke 23:43" He set the piece of paper in front of the tombstone.

"Dale," a voice called.

Dale looked up to see Tammy looking down at him. She leaped from the tree branch and landed beside him.

"You've already missed the ceremony," he told her.

"That's all right," she replied. She looked down at Chip's tombstone. "So, the rumors are true. Chip's dead."

"Yes, the rumors are true," Dale stated. "Tammy, if you don't mind, I'd really like to be alone right now."

"Of course." She kissed his cheek and walked off.

Dale's gaze went upward to the sky. "You could give him back to me, you know," he said. "Now, when I am in need most, you take him away from me? Give him back to me–now! Please, I am in need. I cannot do this alone. Raise him. Raise him up into my arms. Raise him. Raise him!" He fell to his knees and wept.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

" _Let the day of my birth be forgotten."_

 _(Job 3:3)_

" _I curse the day I was born."_

 _(Jeremiah 20:14)_

 _Alvin sat in the backseat of a police car. He looked out the window to see Simon, Theodore, and Dave standing beside the car. "Dave, please," he said._

" _Sorry, Alvin, but I don't know what to do with you," Dave declared. "You've become too big a handful."_

" _But I can do better," Alvin insisted. "Give me another chance! Please! Please!"_

 _Dave shook his head and waved the car away._

 _The car sped off down the street._

Alvin woke up in a cold sweat. He looked around. Simon and Theodore were sleeping soundly in their beds. He sighed and wiped some sweat from his brow. "Just a dream," he told himself.

This had been the fourth night in a row that he'd woken up from a nightmare.

He sighed again. Ever since he'd seen Dale's relationship with his father, he'd been questioning his relationship with Dave.

He didn't know why Dave hated him so much. Then again, he couldn't blame Dave for hating him. After all, Simon himself had said that the reason why Dave hated him was because he made Dave's life a living hell. Truth be told, he hated himself. As this thought entered his mind, he heard Dale's words in his head: "I want you to hate me. Because I hate myself."

He could see why Dave adored Simon and Theodore. Dave loved them more than him because they didn't cause any trouble. They were angels compared to him.

He had been through the same treatment as Dale. He'd been verbally abused by his teachers, who told him that he wouldn't amount to anything. All he was was a troublemaker.

He recalled that he'd literally taken on the role of an angel after having a set piece fall on him. Everyone seemed to like him this way, including Dave and Simon. It was a shame that he'd been changed back.

He was a bad kid, which was why Ms. Miliken had resigned as principal. She'd said so herself. When Dave had asked her why she was resigning, she'd replied. "This is what having Alvin as a student has done to me."

When he'd given his life to Christ, he'd experienced a love unlike any other. With Dave, he felt unloved, but with Jesus, he felt loved. The love of Christ had overwhelmed him. When he came to Christ, he'd felt loved for once in his life, just like Dale.

He feared that one day Dave would get fed up with him and send him away to some orphanage.

He looked over at his two brothers once again. He pulled the covers back, revealing his pajamas. He got out of bed. He needed to know that Dave loved him. Otherwise he'd never know and spend the rest of his life wondering.

As quietly as possible, so not to wake his brothers, he walked over to the bedroom door. As he opened the door, the door hinges creaked loudly. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at his brothers. After realizng that he hadn't disturbed them, he sighed in relief and stepped out to the hall.

The floor creaked as he walked down the hall to Dave's bedroom. The door creaked as he pushed it open. Dave was sleeping soundly in his bed.

Alvin walked over to the bed and gently shook Dave. The man stirred, but didn'twake up. Alvin shook him harder, jerking him out of his sleep.

Dave sat up and rubbed hs eyes. "Alvin?" he asked. "Alvin, what is it?"

Alvin loved the sense of alertness in his voice.

Dave reached over to his bedside table and turned on the lamp to reveal Alvin, who was shaking.

"Dave, I need to talk to you," Alvin said.

"Come 'ere," Dave ordered.

Alvin climbed into Dave's bed.


End file.
